Shelton back in the groove

PEORIA, Ariz. – Returning to his roots both on and off the field is something Chris Shelton hopes will revive his major league career.

Shelton heads home to Salt Lake City every off-season, works out with a high school baseball buddy at his old junior college and also takes part in a local home run derby fundraiser. It was two such Octobers ago, while watching Shelton swing for the fences in that derby, that the buddy, Jason Crawford, a hitting instructor at a local baseball academy, noticed a serious flaw in his approach.

They’ve worked on it the past two winters and Shelton, fighting for a first-base job with the Mariners this spring, hopes the corrections get him back to his roots as a hitter. It’s a path he strayed from three years ago when, after bursting into his first full season in the majors on a torrid home run pace with the Detroit Tigers, he quickly faded into minor league obscurity.

“I made adjustments in my swing and it paid off last year, just not at the major league level,” said Shelton, 28, a nonroster invitee to camp. “It was around July, when I was in Triple-A, that it all finally clicked. Coming into camp this year, I’m just excited about some of the things I think I can do that I wasn’t doing before.”

Driving balls over the fence was routine for Shelton when he broke camp with the Tigers in 2006 after spending the final four months of 2005 with them as a rookie. He gained national attention with nine home runs in his first 13 games and finished the first month with 19 extra-base hits and 72 total bases – the most in April by a Detroit player in 45 years.

But it ended just as quickly. After 10 homers in his first 23 games, he managed just six in the final 92. Detroit shipped him to the minors July 31 following a trade for Sean Casey.

Shelton has had just 97 major league at-bats – all last season with Texas – since the 2006 demotion by Detroit. He hit only .216 with a .330 slugging percentage with the Rangers, still adjusting to his new approach, but took off after a July 2 demotion to Triple-A Oklahoma.

Over the final 53 games, he hit .337 with eight homers and 18 doubles, then added another homer, three doubles and a .325 average in nine postseason games. Shelton faces serious competition this spring from Mike Sweeney, Mike Morse and others as he tries to make the Mariners – most likely as a right-handed platoon partner for first baseman Russell Branyan.

Beltre stars in Mariners’ rout

Adrian Beltre hit a two-run double in a three-run third inning off Shawn Estes to send the Mariners to an exhibition victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

Erik Bedard also had a successful return from shoulder surgery. The left-hander allowed two singles in two scoreless innings in his first start since July 4.

“I don’t even think about my arm. I feel normal,” Bedard said after his 14-pitch day.

Beltre will play against San Francisco today and then decide whether or not to join the Dominican team for the World Baseball Classic.