Mariners hit by injury bug.... - Revolution42's Blog

Revolution42's Blog

Mariners hit by injury bug....

Posted on April 24, 2009 at 12:31 AM.

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The Seattle Mariners scratched Ronny Cedeno from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays because of a strained hamstring.
Cedeno hurt the hamstring when he was running the bases on a three-run home run by Jose Lopez in the fifth inning of Wednesday night's 9-3 loss to the Rays.
Lopez was going to start at first base in Thursday's series finale against Tampa Bay for Russell Branyan, who was available only on an emergency basis because of lower back spasms he's had for a week. But then Lopez had to take Cedeno's start at second base.
Backup first baseman Mike Sweeney was out Thursday after having spasms in his upper back following a check swing Wednesday night. The five-time All-Star said he was much better and could play Friday at the Los Angeles Angels.
That left backup catcher Jamie Burke as the starting first baseman. The 37-year-old Burke, called up last week when starting catcher Kenji Johjima went on the disabled list with a strained hamstring, had nine career innings at first base entering Thursday.
Ken Griffey Jr. is the Mariners' only healthy position player on the bench.
The 39-year-old Griffey, batting .171 with two RBIs in 12 games, got a day off for the afternoon game following a night game. Griffey had played nine of his 12 games at designated hitter this season. Wladimir Balentien was Seattle's DH Thursday.
"We'll patchwork it," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "Everyone goes through this."
Griffey tried to keep the team's mood light amid the injuries and lineup juggling. He jokingly took Wakamatsu's seat in the dugout to give the manager's pregame address.
When asked if he will play any day games this year, Griffey said, "Yeah, mostly special days. Like Mother's Day."
Griffey, the head of Seattle clubhouse "kangaroo court" that fines players for on- and off-the-field mistakes, teased himself for an apparent goof Wednesday night.
He was batting in the bottom of the ninth with his team down by six runs when ball four went past him. Except Griffey didn't seem to know it was ball four. He turned to plate umpire Larry Vanover and had a brief chat before he finally headed to first base wearing a sheepish grin.
When asked Thursday if he would fine himself for not knowing the pitch count, Griffey smiled again.
"No. He said something to me, and I couldn't hear him through that mask he was wearing," Griffey said. "He said, 'It's ball four.' I said, 'I know,' and then went to first."