SEATTLE -- Mariners center fielder Leonys Martin, on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring, could return by the weekend as scheduled.
"[He's] passing all the tests with flying colors," manager Scott Servais said before Monday night's series opener against the Indians. "Feels good, probably to the point with all the strengthening and exercise and stuff he's done, maybe give him a lighter off-day type tomorrow and then see where we're at there in regards to rehab or going from there."
Martin is eligible to come off the DL on Friday, but the club would like to give him at least one rehab game with Triple-A Tacoma.
"I understand that the Tacoma club is off on Wednesday, which makes it a little bit challenging to see what we get lined up there, but still shooting for him to be back over the weekend," said Servais, adding that a Friday return remains a possibility.
The Mariners were 3-7 during Martin's absence heading into Monday night's game.
Martin, who hit .274 with Texas in 2014, dipped to .219 last season before being sent down to Triple-A, where a broken hand ended his season in mid-August. With the Mariners this season, Martin is hitting .262 with a career-high nine homers.
Felix slow to recover
The news was not as encouraging on ace right-hander Felix Hernandez, on the 15-day disabled list with a right calf strain.
Hernandez, 4-4 with a 2.86 ERA in 10 starts, is eligible to come off the DL on Sunday, but he has yet to resume throwing.
"It's going to take some time," Servais said. "I don't think it's going to be a quick four, five -- today's the fifth, sixth day? He's still feeling it. He's not running or anything like that on it. I'd like to get his arm activated so we don't lose too much time down there."
Servais said it's hard to determine a timetable until Hernandez starts throwing.
"It's all different," Servais said. "In Felix's case, you just trust him so much that he knows his body, knows his arm and he's got such great feel when he's on the mound that it might be a little bit easier for him than maybe some other guys that are out a long time. But we've got to wait until he gets to the point where he's feeling good, his leg's feeling good underneath him, before we make any decisions in that regard."