The Mariners are going to have to make it to the All-Star break without the services of closer J.J. Putz.
The 2007 All-Star will start throwing on flat ground Saturday in San Diego, but it's just the start of his comeback from the hyperextended right elbow that has him on the disabled list. There had been some hope he'd be back before the break, but it's clear now that it's not going to happen. He had a cortisone shot last Sunday, and he says he's feeling better all the time.
"It's been brutal not being able to do anything," Putz said. "It's going to be great to get out and throw again. I'm tired of not doing anything.
"There's no way I'm going to be back before the break. The program they have for me will take at least that long. And I'm not going to rush it. I'm going to be sure I'm ready to go before I'm back. There's no reason not to."
Putz has said that he might have tried to come back too quickly from his rib cage injury in April. He won't let that happen again, and the Mariners just want their closer healthy when he does come back
