Mariners’ Robinson Cano expected to play Sunday after hit to head
Jun 27, 2015, 8:48 PM | Updated: 8:48 pm
Robinson Cano said he feels well enough to play Sunday after leaving Saturday's game. (AP)
(AP)
BY
Mariners Insider, Seattle Sports
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Robinson Cano said he will be good to go Sunday after getting hit in the head with an errant infield throw before the start of the seventh inning of the Mariners 4-2 loss to the Angels Saturday night.
“I was talking to (Franklin) Gutierrez, talking to the right side and the next thing you know, I got hit in the head,” he said at his locker following the game, with the goose egg that had appeared over his left eyebrow earlier in the day almost gone.
“Thank God I didn’t lose my conscious, it just hurt right on the spot but other than that, everything’s good,” he said. “So far I can play tomorrow. I feel good right now. I can walk, I was able to remember everything, we did a test and it was good.”
The throw came from Angels shortstop Taylor Featherston, flying over the head of Albert Pujols towards the Mariners dugout. Cano did not see the ball nor did he hear anyone yell a warning.
“Those are the things that hurt the most, when you don’t see it coming. I checked the replay and it bounced back to first base,” Cano said.
Pujols could tell the ball was sailing and spun in the air just in time to see it hit Cano. He fired his glove into the ground after seeing his fellow countryman hit. After the game both Featherston and Pujols called over to the Mariners clubhouse to make sure Cano was okay. By all appearances he is, but one thing is for certain after this episode.
“I’m never going to sit at that end of the dugout again,” Cano said.
Rotation flip-flop
Before the game I reported that Taijuan Walker took batting practice Saturday, which was unusual to see. I guessed that the Mariners would be flip-flopping Walker and Roenis Elias, who was originally scheduled to start Wednesday against the Padres, and after the game McClendon confirmed that was what they most likely would do.
This has nothing to do with the eventual return of Hisashi Iwakuma as some guessed, but rather McClendon would prefer not to throw two lefties at San Diego. Elias will pitch Thursday against the A’s while Iwakuma is scheduled to make a rehab start for the Rainiers on Tuesday.
