SEATTLE — David Aardsma has had a constant companion in the clubhouse the past several weeks as he recovered from surgery on his left hip.
No, not the ice that’s ever present. Or the bald head.
It’s the textbook from the business communication class that Aardsma has nearly completed.
“I’m trying to finish off the degree,” he said. “It’s taken a little time.”
Something called a pro baseball career got in the way for Aardsma, who spent three years in college before leaving Rice University after the Giants drafted him in the first round in 2003.
“In ’04 I tried to take classes and I had it all set up, then the team invited me to play in the Fall League. I cancelled that,” Aardsma said. “After that, I just never really got a chance to do it again.”
A lot of people may wonder why Aardsma would bother now that he’s a major leaguer. He’s making $4.5 million this year and, having established himself as a top-shelf late-inning reliever, would seem to be set financially.
There’s more to Aardsma’s educational pursuit than that.
“I would be the first one from my family to get a degree,” he said. “That’s not including my wife, who lets me know all the time that she has her degree. It’s one of those things that’s a personal accomplishment.”
He started taking classes again last year and this one, business communication, is a University of Illinois program that will transfer to Rice.
“I think I have about 10 classes left,” Aardsma said. “I want to be able to say I got my degree. I went to college for three years at one of the best institutions in the country. I might as well get that degree.”
On the field, Aardsma is nearly ready to face hitters again. He will pitch Tuesday night for the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers in his first rehab outing.
“He’ll probably need three or four outings, but that’s always subject to change,” Wedge said. “We’ll have to see how tomorrow goes.”
Wedge also said that Aardsma wouldn’t immediately jump into the closer role when he’s activated. Last week, Wedge said Aardsma would return to the closer role.
Gutierrez to Mayo Clinic today
Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez is scheduled for his first appointment today at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., as he and the team search for a reason he has experienced stomach problems.
Gutierrez missed playing time off and on going back to last season but reported to spring training in February saying he felt fine. Instead, he missed most of the last half of spring training and, despite multiple tests, he continued to experience problems.
He was scheduled to play for the Class A High Desert Mavericks in his first minor-league rehab game on Friday but again became ill. The Mariners decided then that he needed to be seen by a national facility.
Manager Eric Wedge said Monday that the Mariners aren’t expecting Gutierrez any time soon.
“We don’t have any schedule for him beyond that,” Wedge said.
Of note
Every Mariner — except starting pitcher Jason Vargas — was on the field at 3:30 p.m. Monday for early work. While it’s common for the Mariners to schedule early work a few times a week, it’s rare for it to include every player (except that night’s pitcher) on the team. “You work so hard all spring to get to a point, you want to make sure every now and then that you go out there and try to stay sharp,” Wedge said. … Tigers second baseman Ryan Raburn hit a foul popup in the first inning that became the first ball to strike a roof truss during a game in the history of Safeco Field. The ball fell in foul territory just out of catcher Miguel Olivo’s reach. Had Olivo caught it, Raburn would have been out. … Entering Monday, Mariners starting pitchers led the American League in percentage of strikes thrown (65 percent).
Read Kirby Arnold’s blog on the Mariners at www.heraldnet.com/marinersblog and follow his Twitter updates on the team at @kirbyarnold.
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