His Waiting Game Is Almost Over : Baseball: Seattle’s Mike Schooler, who went to Garden Grove High, is rehabilitating his arm in double A, and expects to return to majors soon.

Every day, Mike Schooler grabs a newspaper and searches for a Seattle Mariner boxscore.

Some days, he’s lucky and he finds one. Some days, he’s not and must wait for the West Coast scores to get to Jacksonville, Fla.

Schooler, a graduate of Garden Grove High School who also pitched for Golden West College and Cal State Fullerton, is accustomed to being a little closer to the action than this. As the Mariners’ all-time save leader, he’s used to being in the thick of it, waiting to be called from the bullpen to bail the Mariners out of a jam.

It’s a role Schooler hopes to fill again soon. But, for now, he waits in Jacksonville, rehabilitating a shoulder that forced him to miss most of spring training.

“The hardest part is knowing I could be helping the team right now,” Schooler said. “I read the paper and try to get scores on television. They’re doing pretty good right now and I want to be a part of it.”

He could be, and soon.

Schooler, 28, has pitched in seven games since coming to Jacksonville at the beginning of this month. So far, he hasn’t been overwhelming; he has an 0-1 record with a 4.90 earned-run average and one save for the Suns, the Mariners’ double-A team.

What’s more important is the fact that he feels no pain in his shoulder. Schooler, who had 78 saves in 2 1/2 seasons--including a team record 33 in 1989--is nearly ready to return.

Monday, Schooler went two innings to earn his first save. Tuesday, he threw on the sidelines without discomfort.

“That was the telltale sign,” Schooler said. “I was getting something on the ball and my shoulder didn’t hurt.”

Schooler, 28, hasn’t pitched for the Mariners since Aug. 24, when he was forced to leave a game against the Kansas City Royals because of stiffness in his right shoulder. He spent the rest of the season on the disabled list with muscle fatigue.

That all seemed behind him during spring training. Schooler threw well and his shoulder seemed strong. Then, in a game against Tucson, he heard a “pop” in his shoulder.

Schooler rested 10 days, then tried to throw again. The next day, he could barely lift his arm.

“That was scary,” he said. “Whenever you get a sore arm you worry that it’s the end of your career.”

Schooler was examined by team doctors, but there was no sign of damage. He even consulted Dr. Lewis Yocum, who could find nothing wrong physically.

“In a way, that was good,” Schooler said. “That meant there was no tear in the rotator cuff or anything like that. But it was unusual. I mean when someone like Dr. Yocum can’t find the problem, no one can. All I knew was it hurt.”

Schooler was given a cortisone shot and was placed on the 60-day disabled list.

The Mariners have made-do without their stopper. Mike Jackson, Schooler’s set-up man last season, has taken over as the closer and has 11 saves.

Bill Swift (six saves), Russ Swan (two) and Dave Burba (one) have also contributed.

“We’ve always had a good bullpen,” Schooler said. “I just want to get back and help them out.”

Schooler took his first step back June 8 when he made his first start for Jacksonville. And in three appearances this month, he didn’t allow a baserunner.

“It was weird being back in the minor leagues,” Schooler said. “The bus rides and the second-rate hotels. It was kind of fun, as long as I was just visiting.”

Schooler’s rehabilitation was slowed by what he called a dead arm, which forced him to sit out a week. He came back last week and pitched one inning, striking out the side. The following day, he had only a little discomfort.

Then came Monday’s performance, in which he retired all six batters, and Schooler was ready to call his rehabilitation complete.

“It was a slow process,” he said. “I had to make sure my mechanics were all right and I didn’t want to overdo it. I wasn’t going to have any setbacks. All I need is one or two more outings to sharpen up and then I’ll be ready to go back to Seattle.”

Where he not only can get the Seattle boxscores, but will be in some as well.