SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Considering that Jered Weaver's job depends on the stability of his right arm, he probably doesn't want to be comparing it to "a wet spaghetti noodle" with 12 days until the regular season begins.Weaver, who didn't last through the first inning in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Kansas

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Considering that Jered Weaver 's job depends on the stability of his right arm, he probably doesn't want to be comparing it to "a wet spaghetti noodle" with 12 days until the regular season begins.

Weaver, who didn't last through the first inning in Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Kansas City, says he's been "dealing with a little dead arm" since his most recent bullpen session. But the veteran right-hander was quick to note that the feeling is nothing out of the ordinary in terms of his spring progression.

"Everything feels good, your arm kind of feels like a wet spaghetti noodle -- it just doesn't really want to go in the direction you want it to go," Weaver said. "That's how it was kind of feeling before. ... I've dealt with it pretty much every spring. It kind of pops up, and you just work through it."

Weaver said his spring dead-arm phase typically lingers for a week or two before subsiding. He suffered a noticeable lack of command Wednesday, hitting two batters and allowing three hits during Kansas City's four-run first.

After signing him to a $3 million deal in February, the Padres were understandably cautious with Weaver on Wednesday, removing him with two outs in the frame. But the veteran right-hander plans to pitch through it.

"I'll stay on top of it, treatment-wise, and strengthen it up," Weaver said. "It's pretty much what I've done in the past. A week or two, and it should be all right."

Ultimately, if Weaver's arm is structurally sound, Wednesday's 31-pitch outing still serves as a minor setback. He had planned to push his pitch count into the 70s against Kansas City. Now, Weaver has two starts left to build his arm to a regular-season level.

The Padres are mulling whether one of those outings should come in a back-field game, where they can ensure he hits certain pitch count and innings threshholds.

"He said he's battled this almost every spring," said Padres skipper Andy Green. "Long-term, I don't think it's a concern."