Another Mariners injury? Ichiro and Jean Segura exit Wednesday’s game

PEORIA, Ariz. – It was the baritone voice of the public address announcer at Peoria Stadium that notified everyone of the unexpected change to start the bottom of the first inning.

“Now pinch hitting for the Mariners in place of Ichiro … Number, 57, John Andreoli,” the voice boomed over the speakers.

Wait, a pinch hitter for Ichiro in the first at-bat of the game?

Did something happen from the time Ichiro stood in left field, watching starter James Paxton strike out the side in the top of the first to when he ran in from his position to the dugoout at the end of the inning?

Well, apparently his right calf had tightened up. And the Mariners, with a list of injured players longer than a 4 p.m. buffet line in Peoria, decided not to take any chances and removed him from the game.

“He just noticed it right away and just wanted to come out,” manager Scott Servais said. “Just precautionary.”

In the top of the fourth inning, Jean Segura was pulled from the game with right hamstring tightness. In the bottom of the third, Segura sprinted from first to third on a single from Mitch Haniger. After the inning ended, he was replaced in the lineup by Danny Muno.

“His hamstring tightened up,” Servais said. “No big issue.”

They are the 1oth and 11th players on the Mariners’ 40-man roster to deal with some sort of known injury issue. Ichiro’s seems the most minor while Segura dealt with hamstring issues early last season.

“Don’t expect those guys to be out long,” Servais said. “We’ll know more tomorrow. It’s just where we are at in spring training. Like I said, it’s the heightened awareness of what’s happened around here the last few days, those guys felt something and decided to come out.”