Cliff Lee Set To Make Season Debut On April 30th

Ace starter Cliff Lee, who is recovering from a strained oblique that has kept him out for the entire month, threw a solid game in AAA Tacoma on Sunday, his first and only minor league rehab appearance as he prepares to take the hill for Seattle this Friday against Texas.

Lee’s command in Tacoma was good, and while he didn’t have a very good feel for his curve, his velocity was normal and he flashed a terrific change. More importantly, Lee referred to his injury as a “non-issue” after working six innings. He seems to have made a full recovery, meaning all systems are go as he looks to join up with Felix Hernandez at the front of the Mariner rotation.

The reason? Given that it was early in spring and that Lee was pitching through injury, Major League Baseball determined there wasn’t enough evidence that Lee’s act was intentional. Lee had been struggling with his command even before the incident, so it’s not an unreasonable decision.