PEORIA, Ariz. -- For what the Mariners want to achieve this season, a lot depends on their starting pitching. And all five projected rotation members were on the mound for the first time this spring on Thursday during the second day of pitchers and catchers' workouts.
Felix Hernandez, the staff ace for the past decade, made his earliest spring mound debut in recent memory, as he works to be ready for the World Baseball Classic in early March, as well as Seattle's season opener in Houston on April 3.
Also throwing their first 10-minute bullpen sessions were returning starters Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton, along with newcomers Drew Smyly and Yovani Gallardo.