PEORIA, Ariz. – Midview High product Ryan Feierabend is on the comeback trail with the Mariners.

Feierabend, a rising left-hander in the Seattle organization before undergoing Tommy John surgery last spring, said he is back on track with no limitations, which he hopes translates into him breaking camp with the big league club.    

“The first couple months (after Tommy John surgery) definitely took a lot out of me, physically and mentally,” said the 24-year-old Feierabend, who appeared in 25 games (19 starts) for Seattle from 2006-08, before missing all of last season, following surgery. “It showed me how much mental capacity I had.”

Feierabend, an All-Ohio pitcher and two-time Lorain County Player of the Year during his high school days with the Middies, had something to take his mind off baseball last summer – the birth of his son Trey.

“That made the summer go fast,” he said.

The post-surgery rehab process wasn’t quite as quick.

“It took a few months to feel normal again,” Feierabend said. “It still hurt and it felt like I just had surgery. They said that was part of the process. Then six or seven months later it was all right. One day I came in and I haven’t had any soreness since.”

Feierabend, Seattle’s third-round draft choice in 2003, was the picture of health for his first five years with Mariners. Elbow injuries struck shortly into the 2008 season, a slight muscle tear sidelining him for more than two months. Bypassing offseason surgery, Feierabend was working toward last year when he re-injured the elbow and wound up undergoing Tommy John.    

Not surprisingly, his goal for this season is to remain injury-free.

“The main thing is staying healthy,” he said. “I haven’t been healthy since April of ’08. Then, I want to pitch well and hopefully make the club.”