Eric Byrnes is scraped up following a play you would only expect to see from Eric Byrnes.

Turning in one of the more interesting games was outfielder Eric Byrnes, who had juggling catch in the fourth inning, falling to the ground in the process. Then in the fifth, he doubled and slid head first into second. Only, he stopped about a foot from the bag, then bounced back up and hit the bag — falling victim to the same hard surface that helped befuddle Figgins and Wilson on those grounders. He lay there for a few seconds with Wakamatsu running out to make sure he was okay.

“Chin, nose and both elbows,” Wakamatsu said of Byrnes’ injuries. “Nothing serious but boy it’ll leave a mark tomorrow.”

Byrnes somewhat sheepishly called it later “a leaping head butt — I just head-butted second base.”

Of his slide, he said: “I took off soon, but I just hit the dirt and just stuck there. There was no slide. It was pretty hard out there. It’s not the first time I’ve done something like that and I promise you it won’t be the last time you guys see something like that. I continue to amaze myself every time I take the baseball field.”

Well, Adam Moore did the same thing, but you have to assume that Byrnes’ belly flop was far more out of control and, thus, more spectacular.

David Aardsma hasn’t had any problems with his strained groin since sitting out a little while.

Here’s what Wakamatsu said about David Aardsma, who threw 20 pitches in his first game of the spring: “We’re real happy he threw 20 pitches and he felt good with no problems with his groin.” Aardsma also said he was happy not to feel any pain and said that there’s no way to replicate the energy of a team — even in spring training — so merely throwing the first pitch and not feeling pain was a victory.

Erik Bedard is progressing well.  GM Jack Zduriencik says he’s ahead of schedule.

“There’s been no setbacks, so that’s the biggest key to the shoulder,” Bedard said. “Shoulders are a little more sensitive than an elbow or something, so right now I’m on track, and hopefully it stays like that.”

Bedard said he has thought all along a realistic return date would be June 15 — 10 months from the surgery.

I’ll take June 15th.  Of course, just about everyone is ahead of schedule until a setback, right? Bedard will throw from a mound on March 23rd.  In other news, the strange new media love affair with Bedard continues.  I don’t mind, but it’s… weird.

Rob Johnson still progressing after his surgeries and setback.  He’s slated to “catch” Cliff Lee for four or five innings today.  Adam Moore is making such a strong impression on both sides of the ball that the team may be more willing to let Johnson take some extra time at the end of Spring Training than they would have if they had to rely on the non-roster guys.

Jack Hannahan is still sitting out, and will be for a few days.  No news on that front.  Meanwhile, Matt Tuiasosopo is hitting the stuffing out the ball, and no doubt making Hannahan nervous.