Seattle Mariners Team Report

INSIDE PITCH The Mariners are getting a little closer to having the bullpen they envisioned at the start of the season. Brandon Morrow came back from the disabled list Saturday, got into Sunday's game and collected his sixth save. Tyler Johnson, who is coming back from shoulder surgery last year when he was playing with St. Louis, is still in Peoria, Ariz., working out in extended spring training. He's scheduled to throw a simulated game Tuesday, after which he could go on an injury rehabilitation assignment. The club could see him back by the end of the month. Chad Cordero, also at the spring facility in Peoria, is set to throw in Tuesday's simulated game, too. However, he has more of those to come in the wake of surgery to repair a torn labrum last July 8. Still, he's getting closer and could be back next month. Johnson and Corder are significant because of their history. Johnson was an up-and-coming pitcher with the Cardinals from 2005-07 before a bout with bursitis ultimately led to surgery. In the 2006 playoffs, he helped the World Series champion Cardinals by appearing in 10 postseason games, striking out 12 in 7 1/3 innings. He held left-handed hitters to a .221 average that season, and held all hitters to a .217 average in 2007. Cordero was an All-Star with the Nationals in 2005 (47 saves) and had 113 saves in 2005-07 before needing his shoulder worked on. Meanwhile, Cesar Jimenez is out on an injury rehabilitation assignment and could be back sooner than either from his bout with left biceps tendinitis. And Roy Corcoran, on the disabled list with strained neck, is due to resume throwing this weekend.NOTES, QUOTESDH Ken Griffey Jr.'s eighth-inning home run Sunday was his 26th in the Metrodome. That's the most he's had as a visitor in any ballpark. And it will be his last, as the Mariners have already played twice in Minneapolis this season and the Twins move into a new stadium next season. And the homer was his seventh on Mother's Day. In baseball history, the only men who have hit more Mother's Day homers than Griffey Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson, both with nine.RHP Brandon Morrow, activated from the disabled list on Saturday, has moved right back into his role as the closer. RHP David Aardsma, who was closing in Morrow's absence, will now pitch the eighth inning. Morrow's appearance Sunday was his first in 17 days.RHP Carlos Silva went on the disabled list Saturday with right shoulder inflammation, but manager Don Wakamatsu is at least as concerned with Silva's confidence level as with his shoulder. "It's not mechanical, it's a matter of confidence," Wakamatsu said. "We believe he can pitch effectively, he doesn't right now. He has to, to be successful."BY THE NUMBERS: 26 Metrodome home runs by Ken Griffey Jr., including a game-tying shot in the eighth inning Sunday. That's the most for him in any road ball park.QUOTE TO NOTE: "The test is all year, not six games." DH Ken Griffey Jr., on the Mariners' just-ended six-game losing streak.ROSTER REPORT1B Mike Sweeney was unavailable to play Sunday after a recurrence of back spasms. He should be ready to play again when Mariners open a three-game series in Texas on Tuesday.LHP Jason Vargas, who pitched two games in relief after being called up from Tacoma, will get his first start as a Mariner on Tuesday in Texas. Vargas spent most of his limited time with the Marlins and the Mets the last few years as a starter.LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith, on the disabled list with left triceps tendinitis, will throw a simulated game this week in Texas, then throw a bullpen session a couple of days later. After that, he's likely to go out on an injury rehabilitation assignment. He's not likely to be back with the Mariners much before the end of the month.RHP Shawn Kelley, who went on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, is likely to need more time than the mandatory 15 days on the DL. He could miss a month or more.RF Ichiro Suzuki has 34 hits this season. Of those, 11 have been infield hits, including three in the last five games.DH Ken Griffey Jr. had a double Sunday, the 507th of his big-league career. That moves him past Babe Ruth (506). Griffey is alone in 42nd place on the all-time list. Next up is Rickey Henderson (510).LHP Tyler Johnson, on the disabled list as he recovers from last year's elbow surgery, is scheduled to throw a simulated game in extended spring training Tuesday in Arizona. At that point he will go on an injury rehabilitation assignment, although the Mariners have not said which club he'll be assigned to.RHP Carlos Silva, on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation, is expected to resume throwing this week during the series in Texas. MEDICAL WATCH: 1B Mike Sweeney (back spasms) did not play May 10 but is expected back in the lineup May 12. RHP Brandon Morrow (right biceps tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 24. He was activated May 9. RHP Carlos Silva (right shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 7. RHP Shawn Kelley (strained left oblique muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list May 6. He could miss at least one month. RHP Roy Corcoran (strained neck) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 29. LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (left triceps tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 11. He threw a bullpen session May 5, and he will throw another May 7. He is scheduled for a simulated game the following week, after which he might start a rehab assignment. LHP Cesar Jimenez (left biceps tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 29. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Tacoma on April 24, and he could be activated in early May. LHP Ryan Feierabend (Tommy John elbow surgery in March 2009) went on the 60-day disabled list March 16. LHP Tyler Johnson (left shoulder surgery in May 2008) started the season in the minors. He might start a rehab assignment with Class AAA Tacoma during the weekend of May 8-10. RHP Chad Cordero (right shoulder surgery in July 2008) signed a minor league deal with the Mariners during the spring, and he wasn't ready for opening day. He was throwing in extended spring training in early May. ROTATION: RHP Felix Hernandez LHP Erik Bedard LHP Jarrod Washburn RHP Chris Jakubauskas LHP Jason Vargas BULLPEN: RHP Brandon Morrow (closer) RHP David Aardsma RHP Miguel Batista RHP Mark Lowe RHP Sean White RHP Denny Stark LHP Garrett Olson CATCHERS: Kenji Johjima Rob Johnson INFIELDERS: 1B Russell Branyan 2B Jose Lopez SS Yuniesky Betancourt 3B Adrian Beltre INF Mike Sweeney INF Ronny Cedeno OUTFIELDERS: LF Endy Chavez CF Franklin Gutierrez RF Ichiro Suzuki DH Ken Griffey Jr. OF Wladimir Balentien