SORRY, I ACCIDENTALLY TOOK THIS POST DOWN.

That's the backside of the Ty Cobb statue at Comerica Park, right next to the statue of ex-Mariner (and Tiger legend) Willie Horton.

Manager Don Wakamatsu just told us that Ryan Rowland-Smith will start Friday against the Indians at Safeco Field. He was scratched from his Tacoma start tonight and will instead throw a bullpen session.

Also, Garrett Olson is out of the rotation, as expected, but Wakamatsu said that he is not ready to announce who will start Sunday when Olson's turn comes up. The obvious candidates are Jason Vargas, Chris Jakubauskas and Brandon Morrow.

Rowland-Smith, in his most recent start for Tacoma, struck out nine and didn't walk any against Las Vegas. Overall, he's 5-3 with a 4.31 ERA for the Rainiers.

"I think it's the progression as much as anything,'' Wakamatsu said of Rowland-Smith. "Just the fact the velocity was up (in his last start). There were different reports, good and bad. I wouldn't say bad, but the location on certain pitches could be better. The overall improvement...it's kind of what we talked about, him going down and getting ample work. We want to see how he'll fare up here."

Also, Erik Bedard's start has been pushed back from Friday to Saturday for two reasons: To give him an extra day's rest, and two, to ensure he pitches against the Rangers in the four-game series in Arlington from June 30-Aug. 2. Bedard is now set to pitch the opener on July 30 -- one day before the trade deadline.

As for Olson, he should be available out of the bullpen on Friday, Wakamatsu said. The Mariners currently have 11 pitchers on their staff, and when Rowland-Smith comes up On, Friday the Mariners will have to decide whether to expand the staff to 12 and send out a position player, or send down a pitcher. They would face the same issue two days later if they dip into the minors for Vargas or Morrow, rather than go with Jakubauskas. Olson and Chris Shelton would seem to be the most logical candidates to go down, though Wakamatsu has had kind words to say about Olson's work out of the bullpen.

Asked how to get Olson to believe in his ability, Wakamatsu said, "Because his stuff is as good as we think it is. That's why we think, 'OK, let's get him back to the bullpen and see if he can do it out there, like he's done already.' He's already proven he can do it there.

"We keep saying we need that left-handed guy out of the bullpen. He might be that guy. The more time, the more experience, he gets, later on we might be able to put him back in that situation. But you don't give up on a guy like this. And we've told him over and over again. You see in a different situation, (Zach) Grienke. He's a guy that almost walked away from the game and came back to be one of the best."

"The rest is up to him. We're in his corner, and we're going to continue to talk to him and get him to believe that."

Here's what Wakamatsu said about having an 11-man pitching staff: "It allows us to carry an extra bench player, which is a luxury, but it does put a toll on your bullpen. Everything is dependent on itself. If the starting pitching goes and we get the innings out of there, you can afford to go with an 11-man; otherwise, it's 12 or 13. I've been on all different types of clubs. It's always nice if the starting pitching can sustain, so you can have an extra position player for some maneuverability."