M's prized offseason pickup Bedard hits 15-day disabled list

Bedard said he had hip inflammation in 2000 during his first full professional season in the Orioles' minor leagues, but not again until he told the Mariners about the pain before his scheduled homecoming start at Baltimore on April 6. Two nights later, at Tampa Bay, Bedard allowed five runs in a laborious six innings but got enough offensive support for his first win with Seattle.

His third missed start this month comes while All-Star closer J.J. Putz continues to make incremental progress toward returning from a ribcage injury that has sidelined him since April 1. Putz will throw off a bullpen mound on Wednesday for the second time this week and may throw in a simulated game before the weekend.

The Mariners still haven't decided if Putz, who is unlikely to come off the disabled list when he is eligible on Friday, will go to the minor leagues for a rehabilitation assignment before being activated.

McLaren keeps emphasizing patience and caution with Putz, too.

Dickey is a 33-year-old former No. 1 draft choice of the Rangers who arrived Tuesday from Triple-A Tacoma and pitched a perfect ninth inning hours later. It was his first major league appearance since April 6, 2006. He has been with Milwaukee and Minnesota since Texas let him go later that year.

Now he is preparing for his first start in two years.

"It's a real redemptive game," Dickey said. "Yeah, it's been a long time. It will be great. And it will be redemptive."