Kirby Arnold checks in from Peoria with an update on David Aardsma that basically confirms our previous update on his time line on returning from surgery. Arnold doesn't give an exact date, not that doing so would be helpful anyways, but figuring out the time needed from the article puts Aardsma back sometime around the second or third week of the season.
The Mariners only have two off days in the month of April, so getting Aardsma back as soon as possible would be nice, but the most important consideration must be to make sure he's fully healthy when he returns to game action. He enters the season as the Mariners' most valuable likely trade chit should they fall from contention by July.
Of course, rest assured that Aardsma is in the best shape of his life.
"I think I’m in better shape and stronger than I ever have been"
So a reasonable expectation is for Aardsma to return to closing duties and immediately begin a new practice of doing chin ups instead of warm up throws and then wrestling a bear. In the meantime, Brandon League is the favorite entering camp to assume the closer mantle until Aardsma returns. Brandon League made no mention in this article of being in the best shape of his life so I assume that he's gained 500 pounds and now plans to get hitters out by distracting them with his wiggling goo when he pitches.