Bedard ahead of schedule, but won't throw off mound Tuesday

Tomorrow was supposed to be a big day for Erik Bedard, who was to throw off a mound for the first time since surgery last August to fix a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

Mariners trainer Rick Griffin says Bedard continues to be well ahead of schedule in his recovery, but the bullpen mound session won't happen. Instead, Bedard will continue to long-toss and throw pitches off flat ground.

Griffin said the change in plan is not a setback.

"We just don't feel like we want to push him," Griffin said. "We just want to make sure we don't have any setbacks."

Bedard had the labrum repaired on Aug. 14, and the original recovery estimate was up to 12 months. Mid-season seemed a reasonable return date, but in early February we learned that Bedard was doing so well in his throwing program at home in Canada that the Mariners had him continue that in Arizona where he could stretch out his throwing distance.

Suddenly, that July return estimate was pushed up to May or June. Still, he wasn't expected to throw from a mound until after the Mariners broke camp on April 1. That's why it seemed significant a couple of weeks ago when we learned he was scheduled to throw from the mound on March 23 -- Tuesday.

With any pitcher, Bedard or otherwise, nothing is definitive when it comes to rehab. There are tweaks and twinges, not to mention full-fledged setbacks.

Bedard's recovery has gone better than expected and without a setback that would cause the team to shut him down, and the Mariners want to keep it that way.

That's why he will continue to long-toss -- playing catch from 120 feet -- and throw what Griffin calls flat-ground bullpens -- pitching to a catcher but doing it on flat ground and not a mound. Throwing from a mound creates different forces on the shoulder, and the Mariners aren't ready to put Bedard through that now.

A couple of other notes:

Cliff Lee (lower right abdomen strain) will play catch Tuesday, and the rest of his work this week will be determined by how he feels. Griffin said Lee did cardio work Sunday, and today he would spend time in the pool and doing shoulder exercises.

Doug Fister also is scheduled to play catch Tuesday, although Griffin said he still had considerable fluid in his right forearm. He was hit there (his pitching arm) by a line drive Friday.

Garrett Olson is expected to play catch today for the first time since he was hit on his left ring finger by a ground ball during a fielding drill last Wednesday.,/li>

Utility infielder Jack Hannahan (right groin strain) will field ground balls today

Here are today's lineups. The A's already have scratched left-hander Brett Anderson and will pitch Justin Duchscherer. No Casey Kotchman today for the Mariners; Ryan Garko will play first base. Also, shortstop Jack Wilson is in the lineup for now, although the Mariners need to see how his right knee is after he was hit by a pitch Sunday. Could be a change.

MARINERS
Ichiro Suzuki, right field
Chone Figgins, second base
Franklin Gutierrez, center field
Milton Bradley, left field
Ken Griffey Jr., DH
Jose Lopez, third base
Ryan Garko, first base
Rob Johnson, catcher
Jack Wilson, shortstop

Right-hander Ian Snell, starting pitcher

ATHLETICS
Coco Crisp, DH
Daric Barton, first base
Kurt Suzuki, catcher
Kevin Kouzmanoff, third base
Ryan Sweeney, right field
Mark Ellis, second base
Eric Patterson, center field
Gabe Gross, left field
Cliff Pennington, shortstop

Right-hander Justin Duchscherer, starting pitcher