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Seattle Mariners

M’s notes: Robinson Cano close to extending doubles streak

Bob Dutton Tacoma News Tribune

SEATTLE – Robinson Cano needs one more double to reach 30 for an 11th consecutive season and become only the sixth player in major league history to put together such a streak.

Cano would be the first player to do it since Stan Musial completed a record-tying 13-year run from 1946-58. Honus Wagner had a 13-year run from 1898-1910.

Musial actually had at least 30 doubles in 16 straight seasons in which he played (1942-58), but he missed 1945 due to military service.

Others who had 11 straight seasons of 30 or more doubles: Tris Speaker (1916-27) had a 12-year streak; Ed Delahanty (1892-1902) and Joe Medwick (1933-43) did it 11 years in a row.

Cano would have one piece of history all to himself; he would be the first player to have 30 or more doubles in each of his first 11 seasons. He and Albert Pujols are the only players to reach that level in their first 10 seasons.

Paxton update

Left-hander James Paxton has a simple goal today when he takes the mound in a rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma that marks his first game action in nearly three months.

“This first one,” he said, “I just want to go out there and be healthy. Have no pain. I’m going to try to throw all of my pitches. Just throw strikes. Go after hitters. Get ahead of them.”

Paxton is ticketed for 45-50 pitches over three innings when the Rainiers play host to Memphis (Cardinals) in a 5:05 p.m. start at Cheney Stadium.

“I’ve been preparing myself for it,” he said. “Thinking about it. Doing some visualizations. Stuff like that. I feel like I’m ready for it, and I’m excited.”

Paxton, 26, hasn’t pitched since he left a May 28 game against Cleveland in the fifth inning because of an injured middle finger that was later diagnosed as a strained tendon.

He was 3-3 with a 3.70 ERA in 10 starts when he landed on the disabled list. Plans call for him to make another start on Aug. 28 – 65 to 70 pitches – and then be reevaluated for a possible return to the big league rotation.

“The second (rehab start) is when you start to fire it up, I think,” Paxton said. “Get everything going. But the first one, I just want to feel good, get ahead and throw strikes. That’s the goal.”