News
Injuries paving way for Jo. Wilson
Seattle (68-62) vs. Kansas City (49-80), 1:10 p.m. PT
By Christian Caple / MLB.com
08/30/09 1:00 AM ET
SEATTLE -- Once again, it looks like some injury issues are going to translate into good fortune for journeyman infielder Josh Wilson. Wilson batted second and played third base in the Mariners' game against Kansas City on Saturday, moving into the spot because third baseman Jack Hannahan -- who, incidentally, has been backing up the injured Adrian Beltre -- was moved to first base due to Russell Branyan's lingering back problem. An MRI exam on Saturday revealed a herniated disk, and Branyan was moved to the 15-day disabled list. He missed four games with back pain in late July. So, Wilson, who hit the ball well while spelling Jack Wilson at shortstop while Jack was out for 10 games with a Grade 1 hamstring tear, will get another chance to continue proving he's capable of playing on the big league level. He's done a good job of it so far. Josh Wilson had three RBIs in Friday's 6-3 win over the Royals, and he is hitting .318 with three home runs and eight RBIs since being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Aug. 13. His bat's got him back in the lineup after another injury to a Mariners starter. "Obviously [we like] the way he's swung the bat since he's been back up," manager Don Wakamatsu said, "the way he's hitting the ball to all fields, pulling the ball for home runs, hitting line drives." Branyan's latest ailment removes a position player from Wakamatsu's disposal, because relief pitcher Chris Jakubauskas was called up to replace him. If the team can regain Beltre soon -- they're targeting Tuesday for his return from a contused testicle -- that gives them another body to work with. But as it is now, the Mariners only have 12 position players at their disposal, since Ichiro Suzuki is out for an undetermined period of time, but is still on the active roster. Ichiro took batting practice again on Saturday, though there still is no timetable for his return from a sore left calf. Wakamatsu didn't rule out the possibility of using Branyan as a designated hitter upon his return, though he said it's likely that the most strain he feels is going to be when he swings, so not much would be avoided. Pitching matchupSEA: LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-1, 4.05 ERA)
Lack of run support continues to haunt the pitching staff, and Rowland-Smith experienced the feeling in his last outing. He held the Athletics to two runs over 6 1/3 innings but received only one run along the way and was denied a victory. Six of the first seven outs were recorded by outfielders, but he started getting his pitches down in the fourth inning and his last nine outs were made by infielders. Rowland-Smith had his second walk-free game of the season, the other coming in a victory over the Blue Jays. This will be his second start of the season against the Royals. The lefty settled for a no-decision in a 7-6 Seattle win on Aug. 4 in Kansas City. He was charged with five runs (four earned) in four innings. KC: RHP Zack Greinke (12-8, 2.43 ERA)
Greinke returned to his old dominant self with a 15-strikeout performance against the Indians in his last start. His 15 strikeouts broke the Royals' franchise record and set a personal career high. He allowed just two earned runs in eight innings of work and lowered his league-leading ERA by a hair. And, believe it or not, the victory was just Greinke's second since the beginning of July. More often than not, Greinke has been the victim of minimal run support from the Royals' offense. Greinke hasn't faced the Mariners this season, but he went 2-0 with a 0.56 ERA against Seattle in two starts in 2008. Tidbits
Carlos Silva threw a bullpen on Saturday, and Wakamatsu said it's the best the right-hander has felt yet. Silva will head to Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday to begin his rehab assignment, which will consist of two or three appearances of one or two innings each. ... Ken Griffey Jr. sat out against another right-hander on Saturday due to a sore knee. Wakamatsu said he expects Griffey to play on Sunday. ... Jim Bouton, author of the famed baseball book Ball Four, threw out the first pitch before Saturday's game. He and several other former Seattle Pilots teammates were in town for a ceremony celebrating the team's 40th anniversary. The Pilots existed for only the 1969 season before moving to Milwaukee. Coincidentally enough, the Royals, Saturday's opponent, were the other expansion team that season. Tickets
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• Monday: Mariners (Luke French, 4-3, 3.92) vs. Angels (Joe Saunders, 10-7, 5.27), 7:10 p.m. PT
• Tuesday: Mariners (Doug Fister, 1-1, 3.42) vs. Angels (Ervin Santana, 7-7, 5.94), 7:10 p.m. PT
• Wednesday: Mariners (Felix Hernandez, 13-5, 2.77) vs. Angels (TBD), 3:40 p.m. PT
Christian Caple is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
