Seattle encountered their first batch of spring injuries this week. On the first day of live batting practice, OF-L Chris Snelling discovered he'd broken the hamate bone in his right hand. He underwent surgery to remove the bone on Friday, which should cause him to miss the remainder of spring training. Injuries have haunted Snelling his entire career, frustrating a potentially highly talented hitter. Knee and ankle injuries diminished his once useful speed, while the continued interruptions of various health problems have prevented him from receiving the playing time to keep his skills sharp.

In 2002, the jump from a few months of AA to the majors looked like a stretch, but Snelling might have successfully navigated the promotion if he hadn't torn the ACL in his left knee. At this point, I think he'd really benefit from spending the whole year at AAA once he's recovered from this latest interruption. While there are examples to the contrary, players are typically able to resume normal activity levels four to six weeks after this surgery. His quick advance to the majors and years of injury problems make him seem older, but Snelling only turned 22 in December, so he can afford to log some development time before tackling the majors again. Furthermore, he's blocked in the outfield, where he's probably too fragile to survive anyway, and DH-R Edgar Martinez appears interested in playing until his body will no longer produce.

RHP Rafael Soriano strained his left oblique during a throwing session on Monday. The muscle probably will need at least a month to heal, so Soriano will miss most of spring training. Since he'll need to complete a throwing program once he's healthy, he may open the season on the disabled list. As a reliever, Soriano's throwing program shouldn't take as long as if he was starting, and Seattle's first regular season game isn't until April 6th. Consequently, the Mariners might simply open the season with him on the roster and limit his workload initially. On the other hand, a setback in late March could cause him to miss all of April. If not allowed to fully heal, oblique strains can linger. Luckily, the Mariners' appear to understand that rushing his recovery likely will keep him out longer, so there's a decent chance he'll receive the rest he needs.

I was disappointed when Soriano announced earlier in the spring that he'd like to remain a reliever for the rest of his career rather than move into the rotation again. The 24-year-old has displayed substantial promise as a starter at AAA. While Seattle hasn't shown any inclination to use Soriano as a closer until they run out of pitchers with experience in the role, the Mariners appear to view him as a setup man and potential future closer rather than as a starter. At the very least, they have no intention of keeping him at AAA as injury insurance for their rotation this season. Once he's back from this injury, I expect another dominant relief performance from him. The only area to keep an eye on might be his homer rate, since he is a flyball pitcher.

RHP Aaron Taylor quietly underwent surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff in early September of 2003. Recovery from the surgery likely will limit him throughout most of spring training, but if his rehab continues to progress smoothly, he may be able to participate in some games by the end of March. Even if he were fully healthy, Taylor would face heavy competition for the final place in the Mariners' bullpen, so I suspect that Seattle either will place him on the disabled list to open the season or option him to AAA.

Seattle plans to open the season with the same rotation that started every game of 2003 for the Mariners, RHP Freddy Garcia, LHP Jamie Moyer, RHP Joel Pineiro, RHP Ryan Franklin, and RHP Gil Meche. In the bullpen, RHP Shigetoshi Hasegawa, RHP Julio Mateo, and Soriano will setup closer LHP Eddie Guardado, while LHP Ron Villone serves as their primary lefty. Provided Seattle opts for an 11-man pitching staff, RHP Kevin Jarvis, RHP Aaron Looper, LHP Terry Mulholland, and LHP Mike Myers appear in competition for one roster spot.

The Mariners are willing to send Jarvis to the minors despite his salary and wouldn't mind at all if someone claimed him and his contract off waivers on his way down. Consequently, he'll have to prove useful as a long reliever in order to win a job in the majors. Whether the 34-year-old breaks camp with the team or not, he's probably first in line to fill any injury hole opened in the rotation.

Looper offers Seattle a multi-inning right-handed reliever. The 27-year-old lacks experience in the majors, but he's proven effective at AAA. I have slight concerns about his home run and walk rates, however I suspect he'd perform acceptably.

If the club wants another lefty in the pen, Mulholland possesses more experience in a multi-inning role while Myers is accustomed to shorter outings. Neither has pitched particularly effectively over the past few years. Manager Bob Melvin has experience with Myers from his time as the Arizona bench coach.