OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Seattle Mariners are in the thick of the wild-card playoff race in the American League, but they will have to survive three to four weeks without ace Felix Hernandez and two to three weeks without valuable reliever David Phelps.
That double dose of tough pitching news was announced Tuesday by the Mariners, one day after both pitchers underwent testing in Seattle. Hernandez (right shoulder bursitis) has been on the disabled list since Saturday, and Phelps (right elbow impingement) joined him on Tuesday.
"It's tough losing a guy like Felix, and Phelps, a guy in the back end of the bullpen, has been doing a great job," Mariners right-hander Yovani Gallardo said.