Displaying patience, Morse waits to test legs

CINCINNATI -- Michael Morse, who has been on the disabled list since June 22, was supposed to run the bases at Great American Ball Park before Friday's game against the Reds to test his strained right quadriceps. Wet conditions and a little soreness, manager Eric Wedge said, prevented that from happening, but Morse said he did not need any such tests to know he was ready to return to action.

"I feel like I could play right now," Morse said. "I think definitely when I was playing in Oakland, I shouldn't have been. So I compare that to now, and I'm like, 'I'm 100 percent.'"

Morse originally injured the quad in San Diego on May 28, missing eight games as a result. Regularly a right fielder, Morse played first base and filled in as a designated hitter for 10 games before aggravating the injury again during a pinch-hit appearance against the Angels on June 20.

Wedge said Morse's baserunning test was pushed back to Saturday. From there, Morse expects to go out on a rehab assignment in a couple of days and return to the Mariners either before the All-Star break or immediately after.

Knowing that originally playing through the injury did him no favors in recovering, he said he was willing to be patient this time around to ensure he was 100 percent healthy.

"I hope it's just that I'll get a little sore here and there," Morse said. "But I'm also hoping that the time I'm taking off right now to be on the DL is going to make it so I don't get soreness so I can just not worry about it."