| Cautious Mariners delay Hernandez's return, Weaver's demotion |
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| Written by Admin |
| Wednesday, 02 May 2007 12:22 |
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SEATTLE (AP) -Felix Hernandez is going to have to wait at least one more turn to get back into the Mariners' rotation. Jeff Weaver will gladly wait one more day to stay in it. Seattle manager Mike Hargrove announced Wednesday that Hernandez, the Mariners' young phenom who began this season nearly perfect before straining his forearm on April 18, will not start at Yankee Stadium on Friday as anticipated. The 21-year-old right-hander is now tentatively scheduled to pitch May 9 at Detroit, following arm discomfort from a bullpen session that has since subsided. ``We'd rather be safe than sorry with him,'' Hargrove said. ``When we get to the 9th, and if Felix needs a few more days, we'll give him (that).'' Cha Seung Baek, promoted from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Hernandez when he went on the 15-day disabled list, will start Friday in New York. Weaver, 0-4 with an 18.26 ERA, will start against his former team on Saturday on an extra day of rest - after a deep discussion between last fall's World Series-clinching starter and Mariners decision makers on what to do next with him. Hernandez felt some discomfort during a bullpen session last weekend. But he said he threw all his pitches - including the slider that originally pained him most - during another bullpen session and felt fine during and after it. Hargrove said Hernandez will throw one more bullpen session and then a simulated game before his tentative start against the Tigers. ``I feel fine,'' Hernandez said. ``I want to pitch.'' He had allowed four hits in 17 scoreless innings - including a one-hitter at Boston - before he left a start last month against Minnesota after just one-third of an inning. He allowed three runs, walked two and threw a wild pitch before he summoned trainers to the mound. Meanwhile, Weaver will stay in the rotation for at least one more turn. The Mariners could have skipped him because of an off day. He allowed six runs and seven hits while getting just one out Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. Weaver has failed to pitch beyond the third inning in three of his four starts with the Mariners, who signed him last winter as a free agent from St. Louis for one year and $8,325,000. Weaver has given up 23 earned runs and 31 hits in 11 1-3 innings. His worst April had been in 2000 with Detroit, when he went 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA. Now, he gets a chance at redemption in front of the same fans who often vilified him during his usually dreadful 2002 and '03 seasons with the Yankees. ``It's where his turn starts. And there aren't a whole lot of easy touches in this league,'' Hargrove said. Hargrove said the Mariners met with Weaver this week and ``threw a lot of things at him. He threw a lot of things at us, different things he can do. We'll see.'' Did some of the Mariners' ``things'' include a demotion to the bullpen or even a designation for assignment, as the Los Angeles Angels did to Weaver last summer after he struggled for months? ``All options were discussed. It was real long,'' Hargrove said of the talk. ``We didn't just flip a coin.'' |
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