What's next for Feierabend?

The Seattle Times has a quick note on Ryan Feierabend's ('04) return to Mariner camp after his Tommy John surgery.

Ryan Feierabend looked happy to be back at spring training Friday with his teammates. Surprisingly happy for a guy who just had Tommy John surgery on his pitching (left) elbow Wednesday, ligament surgery that ended his season before it started.

The painkiller medicine had him feeling good, he admitted with a grin.

"Trust me, I'm very upset the season's over, but I'm on some medication," he said.

Nevertheless, Feierabend was back at the Mariners' spring headquarters to begin his rehabilitation and talked about what's next.

The first step in rehab is regaining range of motion and building grip strength.

"I'm just glad it's done [the surgery] and over with so I can look forward to next year," Feierabend said.

Dr. Lewis Yocum performed the surgery in California. Feierabend lives in Arizona so he won't have far to go to do his rehab work, which will take 12 to 15 months.

Feierabend drew inspiration from his mother, whom he said has dealt with a number of health issues in her life yet fights through them and puts others first. A ligament out of Feierabend's left wrist was removed to replace the elbow ligament that was damaged.