Cliff Lee went from being suspended for 5 games of the regular season to starting the 2010 season on the Mariners disabled list. The Mariners announced this afternoon that Lee spent the afternoon in Seattle with Team Medical Director Dr. Ed Khalfayan receiving treatment for a lower right abdominal strain. Treatment for the injury included an ultrasound exam followed by a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection designed to speed recovery. Lee will be re-evaluated in seven days, but I wouldn't be too optimistic about seeing him in the rotation in April.

It's highly likely the Mariners will be minus Cliff Lee for several weeks of the 2010 season if past injuries are any guide. In 2003, Cliff Lee was on the 60-day disabled list for an oblique abdomen strain, with another 62 days on the DL in 2007 due to an abdominal strain that started at the beginning of March in spring training. Based on those two previous injuries, at best we can expect Cliff Lee to be in the Mariners rotation sometime between May 1 and May 15.

A Mariners starting rotation without Lee starts looking pretty bleak, considering none of the starters has shown great stuff in spring training. 

The starting five for April are starting to look like a starting three:

Felix Hernandex

Ryan Rowland-Smith

Ian Snell

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Cliff Lee has yet to pitch a game for the Mariners and already he's on the injury list. According to the official report from the Mariners, Lee had a floating bone spur in his left foot removed on Friday 5 February 2010. The report indicates that no cast is required with a full recovery within three weeks, but what it doesn't say is how the surgery will impact his pitching. This isn't surgery on his pitching arm, so maybe it truly won't impact performance, but as a left-handed pitcher, Lee pushes off with his left foot during delivery. Depending on how long the spur was present prior to breaking off, Lee may have altered the way he pushes off to compensate for it over past seasons. Obviously having him pitching with pain makes no sense, but lets hope the spur wasn't his Achilles' heel.

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