M’s notes: Huskies outfielder picked in third round

CLEVELAND – Who should know more about Washington center fielder Braden Bishop than his hometown club?

The Seattle Mariners selected Bishop with their third-round pick Tuesday (No. 94) overall) when Major League Baseball resumed its 40-round draft, which runs through Wednesday.

Bishop, 21, is generally viewed as a defensive specialist whose bat needs work – although he batted .295 this season in 49 games for the Huskies while setting career high with 14 doubles and four homers.

“That’s a stereotype that was put on me,” he said, “but I strongly believe that I’m a good hitter.”

Scouts say Bishop is susceptible to injuries because of his gung-ho playing style.

Bishop also gained attention this year for starting a charity – 4Mom – to raise money and awareness for the early onset of Alzheimer’s Disease after his mother was diagnosed with the affliction at age 54.

“My mom is my biggest advocate,” he said, “and I’m going to be hers. It’s tough to see her struggle, but it definitely puts things in perspective. If I struggle, I know she’s going through (something) a lot worse than I am.”

Plans for Rodney

Don’t look for the Mariners to ease struggling closer Fernando Rodney back into the action once he cleans up whatever mechanical issues resulted in a 6.94 ERA over his 24 appearances.

“I don’t think it’s going to be low leverage,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “When the pitching coach (Rick Waits) comes back to me and says we’ve got this mechanical stuff straightened out, he’ll pitch the eighth and, sometimes, the ninth inning.”