Haniger undergoes surgery; timetable uncertain

SEATTLE -- Mitch Haniger has undergone sports hernia surgery and is beginning healing and rehab in preparation to return this season, but Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said on Tuesday that the club still has no firm timeline on when the 2018 All-Star right fielder might be ready to rejoin the club.

“He’s gone through his surgery and we think it was successful,” Dipoto said. “We’re just fingers crossed. We have no expectation on his timeline until we actually see him live [at Spring Training]. We’re not going to push him. Mitch will return at his own pace. Whether that is some time around Opening Day or sometime around the middle of the season, I have no idea. We’re going to see where it takes us.”

Haniger was expected to miss at least 6-8 weeks after feeling an issue in his core muscles while ramping up his hitting program two weeks ago in Menlo Park, Calif.

Dipoto indicated at that time that Haniger almost certainly would still be sidelined at the start of the regular season in late March, but he was less specific on Tuesday as the team edges closer to the start of Spring Training.

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Haniger missed the final four months of the 2019 season after rupturing a testicle when he fouled a ball off himself. He pushed to return from that injury last year and began several rehab stints, but had to be shut down each time due to issues in his back and core area.

Things seemed to be progressing well this winter, and Haniger tested out well in his workouts before feeling more pain when swinging the bat as he began gearing up for camp, which begins next week in Peoria, Ariz.