Notebook | Good news for pitcher Erik Bedard

If Erik Bedard's left hip inflammation was acting up on Monday afternoon, the left-hander certainly didn't let on.

Bedard, the Mariners' prized offseason pitching acquisition who missed his scheduled start Sunday with the injury, was hamming it up and walking with ease as injured teammates J.J. Putz and Mike Morse jokingly constructed a makeshift quarantine area around Willie Bloomquist's locker stall.

That was good news for the Mariners. And there was more: It appears Bedard isn't headed for a stint on the disabled list, even though a full medical report from team doctors wasn't available Monday.

"He said he's feeling better today," Mariners manager John McLaren said. "Hopefully, this will be short term."

Bedard will throw a bullpen session before he returns to game action, McLaren added. That could happen as soon as today.

Rhodes, Dickey added

The Mariners made four roster moves in the wake of an injury and an ineffective pitching performance in Sunday's 10-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.

Morse was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a dislocated left shoulder, and left-handed reliever Eric O'Flaherty was optioned to Class AA West Tenn after he gave up six runs on eight hits in 2-2/3 innings, running his earned-run average to 20.25.

Morse left Sunday's game after landing awkwardly on his shoulder trying to make a diving catch in right field.

Seattle recalled right-hander R.A. Dickey from Class AAA Tacoma and purchased the contract of left-hander Arthur Rhodes from West Tenn to fill the 25-man roster.

"We had to get Eric his confidence back. He was struggling so much," McLaren said. "The velocity is there and we're trying to give him a chance to work through it and it just wasn't happening, and we had to make a move and Arthur was ready."

Rhodes, who missed all of the 2007 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, had a 1.93 ERA in five spring-training games, then spent two weeks in extended spring training in Arizona continuing his rehabilitation.

"I was going to be in the big leagues again probably at the middle of April or the end of April," Rhodes said. "That was my mind-set."

Dickey, a knuckleballer, was 1-1 with a 2.40 ERA in two starts with the Rainiers. McLaren said Dickey is versatile enough to be used as a spot starter in case Bedard can't make his next scheduled start.

"One of the beauties of having a guy like me in the 'pen could be I can do whatever they need, and I can do it consecutive days," Dickey said. "Being a knuckleballer, I can pitch pretty much every day."

The team now has 12 pitchers on its roster, which McLaren thought it needed because of injuries to Bedard and Putz. Putz, on the DL with a rib injury, got the day off from throwing Monday, and McLaren said there is no time frame on his return.

The Mariners played Sunday without third baseman Adrian Beltre, who has a tight hamstring but said he felt good enough to play. He was back in the starting lineup Monday.

Ibanez honored

Outfielder Raul Ibanez was named the American League co-player of the week along with Kansas City's Brian Bannister. He hit .370 (10 for 27) with four home runs, three doubles, a triple, seven runs scored and 11 RBI, reaching base in 15 of his 32 plate appearances. Overall, Ibanez is batting .327.

It was his fourth career AL player-of-the-week honor, and third as a Mariner.

Notes

• Bloomquist was available to play after missing the previous three games with the flu. That was the reason for the prank played on him, which featured cones, sanitized gloves, a white bedsheet and other props.

• Today is Jackie Robinson Day around the majors, and five Mariners will wear jersey No. 42 in his honor: Beltre, Morse, Rhodes, Yuniesky Betancourt and Miguel Batista.

Times staff reporter Larry Stone

contributed to this report.

For the record

Streak: L2

Home: 4-3

Road: 2-5

vs. AL West: 4-2

vs. L.A.: 2-1

vs. Oakland: 0-0

vs. Texas: 2-1

vs. AL East: 2-5

vs. AL Central: 0-1

vs. NL: 0-0

vs. LHP: 0-2

vs. RHP: 6-6

Day: 2-4

Night: 4-4

One-run: 1-3

Extra innings: 0-0

Home attendance

Monday's crowd: 16,751

Season total: 204,185

Biggest crowd: 46,334 (March 31)

Smallest crowd: 16,751 (April 14)

Average (7 dates): 29,169

2007 average (7 dates): 27,051