Notebook | Mariners closer J.J. Putz relieved to hear that sore elbow won't require surgery

J.J. Putz's arm still hurt Friday, his elbow throbbing even as he leaned against a wall outside the Mariners clubhouse to answer a reporter's question about his second trip to the disabled list this season.

The Mariners closer felt better in one important way, though, after finding out his elbow injury would not require anything more significant than rest to heal.

"I'm very relieved that it was nothing structural," Putz said. "Just take a few days off and start throwing again."

The Mariners placed Putz on the 15-day disabled list and recalled right-handed pitcher Roy Corcoran from Class AAA Tacoma. As for Putz's role as the Mariners closer? That will be handled by Brandon Morrow and others as manager John McLaren indicated the team plans to mix and match.

McLaren said Morrow would get most of the closing opportunities, but McLaren wouldn't name Morrow the closer in Putz's absence.

Putz said he experienced numbness in his fingers after throwing a split-fingered fastball on Wednesday in Toronto. He left the game after that and will now wait until he is re-evaluated Monday before throwing.

A couple of weeks on the disabled list isn't nearly as bad as a year recovering from surgery to replace the ulnar collateral ligament, a procedure known as Tommy John surgery.

That is the worst-case scenario Putz said he feared because he's heard other pitchers talk about numbness being the symptom of serious arm injuries.

"They said the first thing they felt was the numbness in their fingers and that shooting pain," Putz said. "So when I had that, [Thursday] was miserable until we got the results."

Putz found out Thursday afternoon his injury wasn't that bad.

Putz hadn't been put on the disabled list by the Mariners until this season. He missed 18 games in April after the cartilage that attaches to his ribs became inflamed. Putz is 2-3 with seven saves this season.

Putz was asked Friday if he's ever felt like he's been 100 percent healthy.

"First day I did," Putz said. "First day I felt good."

Batista to bullpen

R.A. Dickey started in place of Miguel Batista on Friday, and McLaren said before the game that Batista's move to the bullpen wasn't just for this turn in the rotation.

Dickey pitched 1-2/3 innings Friday, allowing seven runs and eight hits; he struck out one and walked two.

Batista previously pitched as a closer. He saved 31 games in 2005 for Toronto, and McLaren indicated he may get some opportunities as a closer while Putz is out.

Knee-d to know

Jose Vidro doesn't play on Montreal's artificial surface any more. Neither does his former franchise, the Washington Nationals. But Washington manager Manny Acta said Friday he would agree that years of playing on that surface has had an effect on Vidro's knees.

"I believe that kind of hurt him," Acta said. "But he had no choice."

Acta pointed out that other players — such as Andre Dawson, who played on the turf in Montreal — also may have suffered lingering effects.

Acta was the Expos' third-base coach from 2002 to 2004 when Vidro was still playing second base in Montreal, but Vidro began to miss more games starting in 2004. In his final three seasons with the team, he missed an average of 54 games before being traded to the Mariners for the 2007 season to be Seattle's designated hitter.

Note

• Volunteers will be accepting cash and nonperishable food at Safeco Field tonight for Northwest Harvest, a statewide agency for hunger relief. Donations will be accepted at the gates from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com

For the record

Streak: L1

Home: 14-19

Road: 10-24

vs. AL West: 10-14

vs. L.A.: 3-6

vs. Oakland: 3-2

vs. Texas: 4-6

vs. AL East: 8-17

vs. AL Cent.: 4-10

vs. NL: 2-2

vs. LHP: 4-12

vs. RHP: 20-3

Day: 8-14

Night: 16-29

One-run: 7-14

Extra innings: 3-2

Home attendance

Friday's crowd: 35,941

Season total: 967,926

Biggest crowd: 46,334 (March 31)

Smallest crowd: 15,818 (May 6)

Average (34 dates): 28,468

2007 average (34 dates): 29,246