Janie McCauley of the Associated Press (via NBCSports.com) reports that the Mariners have placed left-hander Cliff Lee on the 15-day disabled list to start the season as he continues his recovery from an abdominal strain.
Lee enjoyed a pain-free throwing session late last week and is making progress toward a return, but the M’s have not revealed any sort of timetable. Since he hasn’t begun throwing from a mound, we can probably write him off for at least the first two weeks of the regular season. A return before the end of April would, of course, be a real positive for Seattle.
The 31-year-old southpaw went 14-13 last season with a 3.22 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 181 strikeouts in 231 2/3 innings between Cleveland and Philadelphia. He should enjoy the spacious confines of Safeco Field once he’s able to regain his health.