Finding a bright side

Ryan Feierabend ('04) had season ending surgery and will miss some time on the field. But, off the field, he won't miss a thing.

It took a while, but Mariners left-hander Ryan Feierabend finally found something positive about the season-ending surgery he had on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

He can be with his wife when the couple becomes parents for the first time in late June, when their son is born.

"I would get to spend the whole summer at home and get to know my son during the first few months of his life and not be gone every other week," he said.

Feierabend and his wife, Sarah, live about a 15-minute drive from the Peoria Sports Complex, and he has accepted the reality of staying home this summer, recovering from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.

An examination in Los Angeles on Tuesday by noted orthopedic surgeon Lewis Yocum determined the course of action that was needed.

It's scary," Feierabend said. "I never imagined I would end [up] having any kind of major surgery because I've never had something like that before. But it is a relief to get it done and over with so I can start working my tail off toward next year."