*sigh*

With Bedard sidelined, the Mariners will return Ryan Rowland-Smith to the bullpen and start Jarrod Washburn on Saturday, then Miguel Batista on Sunday.

And after the All-Star break?

Riggleman said the tentative plan was to start Felix Hernandez, Washburn, Silva and then Bedard after the break.

“It would be nice to start the second half with the pitching staff we envisioned coming out of camp,” Riggleman said.

There are currently three pitchers in the Mariner dugout who may be capable of starting games next year and delivering a reasonable performance for next to nothing. If Riggleman has his way, none of them will be able to prepare for such an opportunity down the stretch. But hey, at least Batista earned his way back. While his season numbers may be beyond embarrassing, those three innings of relief were something else.