"Mariners starting pitcher Erik Bedard might not make it to the mound in Boston this weekend after all.

The Mariners have said for more than a week that they were hoping Bedard would come off the disabled list and pitch at Fenway Park. But Mariners manager Eric Wedge on Tuesday said he might have Bedard throw a simulated game after Wednesday's scheduled bullpen session.

Wedge was asked whether a simulated game would cause Bedard's return to be delayed until after the Boston series.

"Realistically, yeah," he said. "If he throws a bullpen and then has to throw a simulated game, we'll probably push him back a little bit, yeah."

Bedard was considered one of the more probable Mariners to be traded by the July 31 deadline if the team fell from contention. But that was before he sprained his knee late last month against the Atlanta Braves."