Putz plans on playing
PEORIA, Ariz. – J.J. Putz doesn’t believe he will miss the season opener, and neither do the Seattle Mariners.
That still doesn’t keep them all from being a little nervous about what they may learn today after the team doctor looks at the MRI exam on Putz’s right elbow.
Putz, the Mariners’ hard-throwing closer, has dealt with elbow tightness during much of spring training, and it bothered him again Thursday following a 25-pitch session in the bullpen.
He had the MRI Friday morning and will wait until Dr. Edward Khalfayan, the Mariners’ medical director, sees the image today.
“It’s just a precautionary thing,” Putz said. “I woke up this morning and the pain was very, very minimal.”
Mariners manager Mike Hargrove, while admitting the club is considering its options if Putz isn’t ready for the opener April 3, is confident he won’t need to slide anyone else into the closer role.
“The preliminary reading is that everything was fine,” Hargrove said. “Right now, the concern on a scale of 1-10 of him not being ready is about a 3. I anticipate that J.J. will be ready. But if it looks like it will stretch into the season, we will go to Plan B and Plan C.”
Hargrove wouldn’t say who he would use to replace Putz, although newly acquired right-hander Chris Reitsma would be the most logical choice.
There are other in-house possibilities, none of them enticing.
Left-hander Arthur Rhodes was the Oakland A’s closer early in 2004, but he blew five saves in his first 14 opportunities and lost the job.
Julio Mateo saved 26 games in Single-A ball in 2001 and six for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in 20 games in 2002, but he has just two saves in his four major league seasons.
Left-hander George Sherrill saved 13 games at Tacoma in 2003 and seven in 2005, and got his only major league save last April for the Mariners.
Putz doesn’t believe anyone else will be needed.
Mariners manage Royals
Miguel Batista loves the way Seattle’s infielders are playing defense behind him.
Batista pitched four solid innings in Peoria, getting nine groundouts and two double plays in the Mariners’ 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
An 11-game winner with Arizona last season, the 36-year-old Batista said he had heard about the superior range of Seattle’s steady infield. He signed with the Mariners as a free agent on Dec. 14.
In three spring training starts, Batista has a 2-0 record with a 3.00 ERA – and a strong belief in his new defense.
The right-hander didn’t give up a run in the first three innings, allowing two hits. He got into trouble in the fourth when the first four batters reached base. But a double play and a groundout limited the Royals to two runs.
Seattle’s regulars supplied the offense. Ichiro Suzuki had an RBI double and Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer as the Mariners jumped out to an early 4-0 lead.
Kenji Johjima and Ben Broussard had two hits apiece, while Willie Bloomquist went 4 for 4 with an RBI to increase his batting average to .500.
Royals right fielder Billy Butler was 2 for 2 with a pair of doubles and a walk to push his batting average to .520.
Emil Brown added two hits for Kansas City.
New Kansas City closer Octavio Dotel pitched a scoreless fifth inning. He has given up just one hit in four scoreless innings this spring.
M’s make cuts
Seven players were optioned to the minor leagues. Infielders Michael Garciaparra, Bryan LaHair and Oswaldo Navarro and outfielders Wladimir Balentien and Michael Wilson were optioned to Tacoma. Catchers Jeff Clement and Rob Johnson were re-assigned to minor league camp.
The moves leave the Mariners with 44 players on their roster. That active roster must be cut to 25 by Opening Day.