"I try not to think a whole lot about that, but you have to," Mariners first-year manager Bob Melvin said when asked if he had a plan in place if Sasaki can't pitch.

Sasaki, 35, hasn't pitched in a spring game since March 15 and has pitched only three innings in Arizona. He made 41 pitches in the bullpen Sunday. He's scheduled to pitch in the Mariners' final spring game in Arizona Thursday and again in the team's final exhibition game Sunday in San Francisco.

If Sasaki isn't available for his team's American League opener in Oakland, then right-hander Jeff Nelson and left-hander Arthur Rhodes will be the Mariners' closers, Melvin said.

Without Sasaki, right-hander Shigetoshi Hasegawa also would be elevated into a more important role in Seattle's bullpen.

"We could back Hasegawa up a little bit into either one of those roles that they (Nelson and Rhodes) do because he gets left-handers out, too," Melvin said. "That would be the plan right now."

Sasaki had surgery Oct. 28 in Japan to remove bone chips from his right elbow.

"It's just a little bit of soreness back here," Melvin said, pointing at the back of his shoulder. "It's better than hearing that it's in the elbow."

Sasaki's fourth season in Seattle will be his 14th in professional baseball. He pitched 10 seasons in Yokohama in Japan before joining the Mariners for the 2000 season, when he was the AL Rookie of the Year.

Even if Sasaki is ready for the Oakland opener, Melvin said he will have to be cautious on how he uses Sasaki.

Pitching on consecutive days "doesn't look like it's going to be in the cards," Melvin said. "And we're probably not looking at two-inning saves to start, that's for sure."

Sasaki, a two-time All-Star for Seattle, is the Mariners' all-time saves leader with 119 and also holds the Japanese record for career saves at 229. He had 37 saves in 61 games and 60 2-3 innings last season.

Melvin thinks Sasaki probably hurt his shoulder pitching three 100-pitch bullpen sessions three days in a row. Melvin doesn't second guess Sasaki, though.

"If he still feels that if that's what he needs to do, then that's what he's done and he's been successful doing it, that's what we'll have him do," he said.