Because recent events have made this pretty topical:
Curious about Blackley's procedure, I emailed Jason Churchill of Inside The Park to see what's up, and here's how he responded:
Travis feels really good about it.
8-10 months is the idea.
Yocum told him if all heals well, he could throw in 6 and let it fly in 7-8.
Either way, Spring 06 looks really good.
So, Travis should be all set for a brand new injury by ST of next year. (Jeff's update: now we've got a link with a little more info.)
On to others - player name, followed by injury concern:
Eddie Guardado: trying to come back from a torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder via a little R&R - that is, without surgery (obeying his second opinion, and ignoring the first). He blames the injury on having to compensate for a bad left knee, which he also had surgically repaired. There isn't an extensive history of players returning from such a shoulder injury without getting a procedure done, but there's hope that Guardado might be able to avoid the DL this year if the tear doesn't get bigger, and if his knee really was responsible for his shoulder problems. His throwing activity so far this winter has been limited to flat-ground work; he has yet to throw off a mound since getting hurt. We'll know more in Spring Training.
Joel Pineiro: contrary to Ken Rosenthal's breaking news at the time, Pineiro did not tear a ligament in his right elbow. MRIs and a dye injection determined that his ligament is intact, meaning that TJ surgery wasn't necessary, but the flexor bundle was strained, which knocked him out of action. By September, he was throwing a bit without discomfort, and he's continued to work out and throw (albeit not competitively) painlessly. As of a week and a half ago, Pineiro had thrown a few bullpen sessions without any problems; he should be 100% by ST, but the team will keep a close eye on him.
Rafael Soriano: well, the good news is that his oblique problems from a year ago aren't the big concern anymore. An ulnar collateral ligament tear in Soriano's elbow required Tommy John surgery in August, which ordinarily knocks pitchers out of action for 12-15 months. Soriano is recovering ahead of schedule, with the potential to return 11 months after the procedure, putting him at a post-ASB return date. A handful of useful innings down the stretch wouldn't be too much to ask.
Felix Hernandez: young pitcher in the Mariners organization.
Bucky Jacobsen: Bucky had needed surgery on his right knee for a while, and he finally got it done last September. The knee is feeling better, and isn't very sore anymore, but Bucky just resumed running activity a few days ago, so it will be a little while before he's back at 100% strength.
Justin Leone: he's made a full recovery from a fractured left hand, and will be at full strength for Spring Training. Regardless, he's not likely to break camp with the roster. Food poisoning issues from over the winter aren't a concern.
Adrian Beltre: arthroscopic surgery in October removed two bone spurs from his left ankle, which had bothered him for all of 2004. He'll be able to run better this year, which might turn him into a little weapon on the basepaths (he stole 18 bases in 1999).
Richie Sexson: everything that can be said, has been said. A shoulder subluxation and tear forced him out of action in 2004, but he managed to pass his physical with flying colors. Enough airborne hues to convince the Mariners that he's a good risk, anyway. Dye injections have determined that the tear is pretty well recovered, but this kind of injury tends to recur. Doctors put him at a 10% recurrence risk, but we don't really know how they qualified that statement, so we'll just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best. Said Will Carroll: Working against Sexson are his extremely long arms. Added to the bat, they're a long lever that taxes the shoulder joint.
Chris Snelling: stop me if you've heard this before - Snelling is supposed to report to camp fully healthy, having recovered from a broken hamate bone and surgery to repair damaged cartilage in his right wrist. With as many screws and pins as they've put in Snelling's body over the years, you wonder if they allow him on airplanes.
Pokey Reese: Pokey gets hurt every year; it's just a question of how, and for how long. Last year he strained his oblique, which is the kind of thing that comes back again and again. He shouldn't have any problems going into camp, but he's a risk to sleep on his arm funny and miss a few weeks.
Update: Ryan Anderson: Anderson had a third shoulder surgery last year. He's 25 now, and he hasn't thrown an inning of competitive baseball since 2000, thanks to a series of rotator cuff and labrum problems. The Mariners re-signed him to a non-guaranteed minor league contract for 2005 last September, hoping that he's healthy for spring, but we hear this kind of thing every year. Ever seen a 6'11 situational lefty? That's probably what's in Anderson's future. Keep in mind that this is a guy who had walked 208 hitters in 349 innings before getting hurt. Even if he shows up healthy, it doesn't mean he's effective. Nevertheless, he's been able to throw a few bullpen sessions this winter, something he wasn't able to do over the summer, so at least there's progress. Separated at birth: Anderson and Sam Rockwell.