Clement returns to Seattle

SEATTLE – When Jeff Clement made his highly anticipated jump from the minors to Seattle’s starting lineup in late April, the Mariners still held onto hopes of salvaging a disappointing start.

Those hopes are clearly gone with the team 22 games less than .500 and holding the worst record in baseball.

But Clement returned to the Mariners on Tuesday after being called up from Triple-A Tacoma after Monday night’s game, with the intention of rectifying a sluggish debut in his first stint with the team.

“I think I had a little tension every time I stepped up to the plate trying to do too much and that’s obviously my own fault,” Clement said of his 15-game stint in late-April and early May.

Clement’s return continues the theme of changes that manager John McLaren alluded to Monday when the team fired general manager Bill Bavasi and McLaren moved Ichiro Suzuki back to right field for the first time since late in 2006. Seattle optioned outfielder Wladimir Balentien to Tacoma to clear a spot for Clement.

Clement wasn’t in the lineup Tuesday, but will become the Mariners’ majority catcher, potentially catching three or four times a week. Kenji Johjima will be catch some and serve as designated hitter, and McLaren said all pitcher-catcher combos – namely Erik Bedard’s preference to have backup Jamie Burke as his catcher – are finished.