Madritsch on way to disabled list

Seattle left-hander Bobby Madritsch will have a second MRI on his shoulder today, and the Mariners will probably place him on the disabled list – and call up Tacoma infielder Justin Leone.

No announcement was made Friday, but at Tacoma’s game in Fresno, Leone was pulled from the game and told he was flying to Seattle.

Madritsch has a strained shoulder and will likely miss two starts, and when the Mariners slide Ryan Franklin from the bullpen into the rotation, they’ll add a position player in Leone, not another pitcher.

That would give manager Mike Hargrove more options in the field and off his bench, trimming the pitching staff to 10 and giving the team 14 position players, at least until Joel Piñeiro rejoins the team next weekend.

Before the game Friday, Madritsch was examined again by team orthopedist Dr. Larry Pedegana after Madritsch had discomfort two days after leaving his first start in pain. Pedegana has ordered an “augmented” MRI today which includes the injection of dye into the injured shoulder, and the Mariners expect to have a much clearer diagnosis of Madritsch’s condition by Sunday.

Madritsch, 29, has a history of shoulder problems – he missed the entire 1999 season with major reconstructive surgery – so the Mariners will be cautious in bringing him back, even if the strain is minor.

One of the few bright spots late last season, Madritsch went 6-3 with a 3.27 earned run average after his call-up from the Rainiers.

Short hops

Someone asked Hargrove before the game if he intended to address his team before it began playing division-rival Texas. “When you play a division rival, there’s no need to say anything,” Hargrove said. “We play 162 games, and you can’t be giving speeches before every series. These guys don’t need to hear from me tonight.” … Today, Piñeiro flies to Fresno to join the Rainiers, and he’ll make his fifth minor-league start since straining his right shoulder in spring training. … Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki singled in the first inning and has now hit in all four regular season games. Last year, he finished the season with a 13-game hitting streak.