The Mariners have lost Chris Reitsma for the season as he will undergo elbow surgery on Thursday.  He finishes the season with a 0-2 record with a 7.61 ERA and a 1.94 WHIP in 26 games.  He threw 23.2 innings this season for the Mariners and he allowed 37 hits, walked 9 batters and whiffed 11.  The Mariners have recalled lefty reliever Ryan Rowland Smith to replace Reitsma in the bullpen.  He has pitched in 7 games this season for the Mariners and he is 0-0 with a 4.22 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP.  In 10.2 innings this year he has allowed 12 hits, walked 3 batters and whiffed 14.

The Mariners have signed Tomo Ohka to a minor league contract.  This is a smart low risk move by the Mariners who need a little more depth in starting pitching in their organization.  Ohka started 10 games this season for the Blue Jays and he was 2-5 with a 5.79 ERA and a 1.61 WHIP.  He threw 56 innings and he allowed 68 hits, 10 homers, walked 22 batters and whiffed 21.

The Mariners have been unable to find reliable pitchers for the back of the starting rotation.  Jeff Weaver has pitched well lately but he is still only 2-6 with a 6.34 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP so far this season.  If Weaver can keep pitching like he has recently then the Mariners will only need a #5 starter to make a strong playoff push in the 2nd half of the season.  Cha Seung Baek and Ryan Feierabend have both tried unsuccessfully to handle the job.  Baek is 3-3 with a 5.74 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP so far this season and Feierabend is 1-3 with a 9.31 ERA and a 1.97 WHIP so far this year.  Of course, lefty Horacio Ramirez could wind up being the answer to the #5 starting job in the Mariners rotation but he must pitch better than he did in the first half of the season when he returns from the DL.  Ramirez is 4-2 with a 6.47 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP so far this season.  It’s possible that the Mariners will explore a trade for Dontrelle Willis or Javier Vazquez in the coming weeks.

Chris Reitsma and Sean White have both been pretty awful out of the bullpen for the Mariners.  Reitsma was signed to be the top setup man for the Mariners in the off season but he has been pretty bad.  He is 0-1 with a 5.49 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP so far this season.  Sean White was a Rule 5 Pick for the Mariners and he’s been overmatched in the major leagues.  White is 1-1 with a 7.03 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP so far this year.

Richie Sexson is without a doubt the most intimidating hitter on the Mariners but he has been in a deep first half slump.  If Sexson gets straightened out it will fix the whole Mariners lineup.  Sexson is only hitting .205 with 40 runs scored, 15 homers and 48 RBIs so far this season. 

The Mariners didn’t expect their bullpen to be a team strength but it has been so far this season.  J.J. Putz has been the best closer in baseball so far this season.  Putz is 1-0 with 24 saves in the first half of the season with a 0.88 ERA and a 0.59 WHIP.  Putz has only allowed 17 hits and walked 7 batters in 41 innings this season!  Lefty George Sherrill has also been unhittable so far this season.  He is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.64 WHIP so far this season.  Sherrill has been downright nasty this season and I expect him to keep it up.  Lefty Eric O’Flaherty has also been outstanding in the pen this season.  He is 6-0 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP so far this season.  Righty Sean Green has also stepped up this season as he is 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP so far this year.  If the young Mariners relievers continue to pitch well the rest of the season they will have a very good chance of making the playoffs.