Beavan's status uncertain after comebacker

Beavan's status uncertain after comebacker

Beavan's status uncertain after comebacker
SEATTLE -- Blake Beavan said he's still hopeful of making his next start, Sunday at Yankee Stadium, but that remains up in the air after the Mariners right-hander was knocked out of Monday's start when a line drive from the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera hit off his right elbow.

Beavan didn't return after Cabrera's shot ricocheted off his arm and turned into an inning-ending double play in the third frame of Seattle's 3-2 victory. He said he was feeling better on Tuesday, but his availability will depend on how his elbow reacts in the coming days.

"It's more tender than anything," said Beavan. "I have a lot more range of motion. I can get my arm up to my chest. Last night, I could just barely raise it, and it hasn't even been 24 hours yet. So hopefully with treatment we'll speed up the process."

Manager Eric Wedge said it's "too early to tell" if Beavan will be ready for his turn Sunday and said long reliever Hisashi Iwakuma or one of the starters at Triple-A Tacoma would be options if Beavan can't go.

Beavan, 1-3 with a 4.32 ERA in six starts, said he once took a 102-mph line drive off his ankle in a Minor League game but didn't miss a start. But he realizes this might be a different situation.

"I'm going to do everything I can to try to get back," he said. "But I don't want to come back if I'm not 100 percent because that wouldn't be good for the team. It's something you don't want to rush if it's serious, but if I can go and it's 100 percent, then I'm going to go. We just have to go day by day."

Beavan, 23, walked off the mound after taking the line drive without showing any pain, but said he started feeling it as soon as trainers began examining his elbow in the dugout.

"I don't try to be like a tough guy or anything, but I guess you could say I have a high pain tolerance," he said. "You grow up playing football, and I've been hit a lot worse. So I can take some pain. But I really didn't feel the pain until I got underneath in the tunnel and they were feeling around asking if this hurt and did that hurt, and that's when it started hurting."

Wedge said Iwakuma wouldn't throw for the next few days anyway after throwing three innings of relief on Monday, so he could be in line for the spot start if needed.

Erasmo Ramirez, who was sent down to Tacoma last weekend, has started one game for the Rainiers and isn't scheduled to go again until Saturday. But he threw just three innings in his first start for the Rainiers after spending the first month of the season in the Mariners' bullpen.