Mariners Notebook: King Felix nears return

Felix Hernandez on Sunday took an important step toward returning to the Mariners’ rotation.

Hernandez, on the disabled list since April 26 with right shoulder bursitis, retired the first 14 batters he faced in his second rehab start for the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers on Sunday afternoon.

His final line: five innings, one hit, one run, one walk and five strikeouts in the Rainiers’ 5-3 victory over the Las Vegas 51s.

That’s a significant improvement from Hernandez’s first rehab start for Tacoma last week, when he allowed five runs (including a grand slam) in just two innings of work.

Hernandez is scheduled to make a third rehab start before returning to the Mariners’ rotation.

“It’s more about the long haul here, like we talked with Felix about earlier,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said after a 4-0 loss to the Blue Jays in Seattle. “We want him to be built up. We’ve found guys (in the rotation) that can go out and give us very competitive five innings. We’re looking for somebody to get a little bit (more) into the sixth, seven inning. So let’s build him up, put him in the right spot so we can get him going and have him for the remainder of the season.”

“Twins” dress code

Mariners manager Scott Servais imposed an unusual dress code for his team’s charter flight to Minnesota, where the Mariners will open a four-game series against the Twins on Monday.

“I don’t care how you dress,” the players were told. “I don’t care what you wear. But you’ve got to dress as twins.”

Last week, the names of everybody in the traveling party were put into a hat, then pulled out two at a time. The pairings produced such unlikely “twins” as second baseman Robinson Cano and interpreter Antony Suzuki.

“I’m curious to see what the get-ups look like,” Servais said. “Cost does not figure into it.”

But a payoff was planned, with the winning team — selected by a vote — collecting from the $20-per-participant entry fee.

Servais arranged a similar dress-up trip last year, when players were required to wear clothes associated with their birthplaces.

“It’s good for the guys to talk, work together, and have a little fun,” Servais said.

The Seattle Times and Tacoma News Tribune contributed to this report.