David Aardsma played catch yesterday, marking the first time the Mariners closer has thrown since undergoing hip surgery in January.
Mariners trainer Rick Griffin called it “a good start” and told Greg Johns of MLB.com that Aardsma “felt good.”
Aardsma just shed his crutches last week, so he still has a long way to go before being cleared for game action and the best-case scenario for his recovery would likely mean debuting for the Mariners in late April.
In the meantime Brandon League is the favorite for saves in Seattle after posting a 3.42 ERA, 56/27 K/BB ratio, and .229 opponents’ batting average in 79 innings as Aardsma’s primary setup man last season.