MINNEAPOLIS – Infielder Ketel Marte experienced a hoary baseball tradition when he got the news Wednesday that he was heading from Triple-A Tacoma to join the Mariners for his big league debut.

The old misdirection play.

“I was in the lineup (Wednesday in El Paso),” Marte explained, “but when I came to the field, they took me out. I was like, ‘Oh, my God. What the (heck)?’

“After the game, (Tacoma manager) Pat Listach said, ‘You’ve got to go to Double-A.’ I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ Then he said, ‘No, no, no. Congratulations, you’re going to the big leagues.’”

It took a moment to sink in.

Thinking he had been demoted to Double-A Jackson, Marte admitted, “I was so sad, man.” And then the reversal: He was heading to Minneapolis; in an instant, his dream had come true.

“I was crying,” Marte admitted. “I was so emotional. I was so happy. I called my mom, and she’s crying. I mean, I’m good now. I’m so happy.”

Marte, 21, drew a walk in five plate appearances Friday in his big-league debut, and he played second base again Saturday in place of Robinson Cano, who is still nursing a strained abdominal muscle.

That’s a short-term fit, though. While Marte played shortstop primarily throughout his five minor-league seasons, his future might be in center field as an eventual replacement for pending free agent Austin Jackson.