Mariners notebook: Danny Valencia hits his stride; updates on Jean Segura, Hisashi Iwakuma

If there’s any one offensive player the Seattle Mariners can point to that helped keep them afloat over the past month while they dealt with a deluge of injuries, it’s Danny Valencia.

After a rough first month in a Mariners uniform, Valencia has been more confident and impactful at the plate over his last 25 games. Since May 4, Valencia is hitting .323 with three home runs, five doubles, 19 RBIs and a .873 OPS. Compare that to his numbers from April 3 to May 3 – .185 batting average, six RBIs, .589 OPS – and it’s easy to see how important he’s been with players like Mitch Haniger and Robinson Cano missing time.

“For me, Danny quit trying to do too much,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said Saturday, noting that he believes Valencia pressed early on in the season as a result of his new surroundings. “When you start taking BP every day in spring training with Cano and (Nelson) Cruz and trying to hit it just as far as they do and all the other things that that can lead to, it’s not always good. Danny’s got plenty of power, but it’s more important to be a good hitter, and then the power comes next.”

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Seattle’s 32-year-old first baseman has provided production much more fitting of the position he plays as of late due to a renewed focus on using the whole field at the plate, according to Servais.

“He started taking the ball the other way. You’re seeing a lot of hits going to right field, right-center,” said Servais of Valencia, who played last season for division rival Oakland. “I remember playing against him last year, he beat our shift against him probably three or four times in RBI situations, and it just stuck out to me and I started talking to him about that. He’s gotta get back to doing that, and then the home runs come and the extra-base hits to the pull side, but he’s doing a much better job of using the whole field.”

That was at least partly the case on Friday night in Seattle’s 12-4 win. Valencia went 3 for 4 and tied his career high with five RBIs, and while he had a long, three-run home run to left field, he also had a ringing double to deep right center in the fifth inning.

Ben Gamel, first baseman?

Yes, Ben Gamel could eventually be seen playing first base for the Mariners. Seattle’s current leadoff man and usual right fielder took grounders at the position during pregame for the second straight day Saturday in a move Servais said is about giving him an extra way to get on the field in the future.

“Ben wants to do it, he wants to work at it,” Servais said. “I thought it looked really good for the second or third day ever being out there.”

Servais added that the Mariners had talked about trying to teach Seth Smith the position when he was still with Seattle last season, and that if Gamel can learn the spot it will help him out when he’s at the same point Smith is currently at in his career.

“It’s something that we actually talked about at the end of spring training,” Servais said. “It’s just another tool to put in his bag. It’s something he could use to help him get on the field at different points. He should be able to do it.”

Just don’t expect to see Gamel penciled in to start at first base any time soon.

“He’s just out there, and if we get in a lopsided game (and) we want to throw him out there, we can do it.”

By the way, Gamel was a guest on “Danny, Dave and Moore” Friday in Edgar’s Cantina and even let Jim Moore pet his trademark long hair. Here’s video of the interview.

Notes

• Jean Segura spoke to reporters in the clubhouse for the first time since suffering a high ankle sprain Thursday and landing on the DL the next day. Fitted with a walking boot, Seattle’s shortstop was optimistic he’ll be back before July. “I don’t think this is gonna take a month,” Segura said.
“Maybe a couple weeks. We’ll see how it feels the next couple days. … I think it’s gonna be a quick recovery. It’s an injury. I need to go with the process the trainers want me to.” Regarding the play on which he suffered the injury, where Segura tried to advance from first to second on a sacrifice fly that scored a run from third, he said it was a bad decision on his part. “I should have not gone. … My foot kinda stuck into the base and when I slid my foot crossed over the base.”

• On the heels of Felix Hernandez’s simulated game pitching to live hitters on Friday, Hisashi Iwakuma (shoulder) threw a sim game of his own Saturday afternoon at Safeco Field. While Hernandez’s next step in his recovery from shoulder bursitis will be the first of most likely two rehab starts in the minors, Servais said Iwakuma will probably throw another sim game in a few days before any determination is made on a rehab assignment. As for how Iwakuma threw: “Where he’s at mechanically, not quite consistent in his release point yet,” Servais said.

• Mitch Haniger (oblique) felt fine after taking batting practice Friday, Servais said. The Mariners hope to send him out on a rehab assignment early this week if all is well after he takes BP each day through Sunday.

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