Injured Bedard may be ready in time for spring training

Oct 6, 2008 - 10:00 PM TACOMA, Washington (Ticker) -- It turns out Erik Bedard may be ready for 2009 after all.

Bedard, who endured an injury-riddled 2008 campaign with the Seattle Mariners, had exploratory shoulder surgery on his left shoulder in late September.

The original projection was that the lefthander might need anywhere from six months to a year of rehabilitation before he could return to the mound.

But once the procedure was performed, the diagnosis on Bedard improved dramatically, according to a report in The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington.

According to the report, no major structural or ligament damage was discovered, meaning Bedard may be back in time for the start of next season.

"The surgery was the best-case scenario, not the worst," Bedard told the newspaper. "They cleaned up the fraying on my labrum and took out the cyst. I start rehab tomorrow."

An Ontario native, Bedard was the Mariners' Opening Day starter this season and was expected to be the team's ace following a blockbuster offseason trade in which Seattle acquired the southpaw from the Baltimore Orioles.

But the 29-year-old Bedard spent two stints on the disabled list, first with a hip injury in April and then with the shoulder injury that ended his season in early July.

In 15 starts this year, Bedard went 6-4 with a 3.67 ERA with 72 strikeouts over 81 innings. In six seasons, he is 46-38 with a 3.81 ERA.

Bedard's best season came in 2007, his last with the Orioles, when he set a franchise record with 10.93 strikeouts per nine innings. He was 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA and established himself as an ace, finishing fifth in the American League Cy Young Award race.

Last February, the Mariners dealt five players - including highly touted outfield prospect Adam Jones - to land Bedard as they hoped to compete for an AL West title and reach their first postseason since 2001.

But the campaign was derailed by injuries and a lack of offensive production, and the Mariners finished with the second-worst record in baseball at 61-101.