Mariners notebook: Charlie Furbush ‘not too worried’ about setback

PEORIA, Ariz. – While no news is truly no news until we see him on the mound, in a game, and better yet the day after playing catch, Mariners reliever Charlie Furbush feels confident that he will be able to play catch Tuesday after his last throwing session was cut short.

“Overall, I am not too worried about it,” Furbush said. “It’s one of those things where I have been tested by the doctor and everything came back negative on the tests. Maybe it is just some inflammation or some tightness that I need to shake out, so it might take a few more days. But I should just keep working hard and be back soon.”

Furbush pointed out that the tightness he is feeling is not in the rotator cuff, where tendinitis and a slight tear caused him to be shut down last year.

“It’s in a good area, for what it’s worth,” he said while pointing to more of the triceps area.

While not worried about the setback, he is anxious to get back on the mound.

“I do want to get on the mound and go,” he said. “I guess it is just the life of a pitcher right now. I am just trying to do everything I can to get back out there and hopefully it is sooner than later.”

Furbush isn’t the only pitcher who has been slowed. Steve Cishek has experienced biceps soreness and has not pitched in a Cactus League game since March 6.

“I think I would feel better if he was out there in the game,” manager Scott Servais said in his morning meeting with the media. “He is throwing a bullpen today. He feels good. I’m anxious to get him in some games.”

Cishek did throw the bullpen under the watch of trainer Rick Griffin and pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. He threw for about 5 minutes and mixed in all of his pitches. We should learn more about his status soon.

For now, happy Felix Day! Making his spring debut, Felix Hernandez will face the Rockies in Peoria while Taijuan Walker travels to Scottsdale to take on the Diamondbacks. Felix is scheduled to pitch three innings and 45-50 pitches. Walker is scheduled to go four innings and 60 pitches.

Lineup! vs. Rockies

Leonys Martin, CF
Ketel Marte, SS
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Adam Lind, 1B
Franklin Gutierrez, RF
Chris Iannetta, C
Chris Taylor, 3B
Boog Powell, LF

Felix Hernandez, SP

The game can be heard on 710 ESPN Seattle.

Lineup! at Diamondbacks

Norichika Aoki, CF
Luis Sardinas, SS
Kyle Seager, 3B
Seth Smith, RF
Dae-Ho Lee, 1B
Mike Zunino, C
Daniel Robertson, LF
Shawn O’Malley, 2B
Taijuan Walker, SP

Yes, Walker will hit in the National League game and he should be facing Zack Greinke, who is starting for the Diamondbacks.

M’s off and running

Servais and staff have turned the Mariners’ base-runners loose in the first 13 games, letting them test their limits and in the process learning a little more about them.

Now they are putting that information to use as the morning chalk talk was to center around base-running. The Mariners this year will use data to help with that. It’s an interesting conversation with the hows, whys and what they can get from it. That can be heard here.

For the record, the Mariners lead the American League in stolen bases this spring with 18. They’ve been caught stealing five times. The Rangers are second in the league with 13 steals and have been caught eight times.

Notes

• Reliever Tony Zych and catcher Steve Clevenger are absent from camp today. Zych is suffering from food poisoning while Clevenger has flu-like symptoms.

• Servais said this morning that we will most likely see Hisashi Iwakuma pitch Game 2 of the season in Texas. There was some question as Felix and Walker are pitching on the same day, but with three off days before opening day, there is plenty of time and space to juggle.

• “The Cactus League Report” comes your way tonight from the Salty Senorita. Guests will include Mariners James Paxton, Stefen Romero, Boog Powell and Tim Bogar as well as Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. If you are in the area, feel free to stop by and watch the taping from 6-8. The show will air on 710 ESPN Seattle from 7-9.