Mariners notebook: Lineup for spring opener gets some changes

Feb 23, 2020, 9:56 AM

Second-year Mariners starter Yusei Kikuchi will start Seattle's spring opener Sunday. (AP)

(AP)

Mariners Insider, Seattle Sports

The skies have cleared and the field has dried enough. There is going to be baseball Sunday as the Mariners will host the Rangers in a game that can be heard on 710 ESPN Seattle at 12:10 p.m.

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The Cactus League opener take 2 lineup is a little different than where it was left off Saturday:

Lineup!

Shed Long Jr., 2B
Evan White, 1B
Kyle Seager, 3B
Kyle Lewis, RF
Daniel Vogelbach, DH
Tom Murphy, C
J.P. Crawford, SS
Mallex Smith, CF
Braden Bishop, LF

Yusei Kikuchi, SP

I am already receiving lineup complaints on Twitter, which is absolutely ridiculous. For the record, the first came Saturday five minutes after the rainout lineup was posted. Just a reminder, this is spring training. There are a lot of different things they need to get accomplished with the daily assignments of players and a month to take different looks at things. Lineups mean absolutely nothing in the spring.

Where players play is a little bit of a different matter. There have been some questions as to why Kyle Lewis is in right field and not left. Mariners manager Scott Servais has said that he will be moving his outfielders around quite a bit this spring. They will want to get a good look at a number of players in center and also get guys experience in spots that they perhaps are not quite as familiar with. As for Lewis, while he might profile better in left, with Mitch Haniger out we are more likely to see him in right field.

Notes

• Kikuchi is scheduled to throw two innings, pitch count willing. Kikuchi worked to simplify his delivery in the offseason and also went to work on his curveball, looking to get better shape on it. The curveball has been good for Kikuchi at times but has lacked consistency. It will be interesting to see if he is still trying to throw the changeup or if the (hopefully) improved curveball can give him what he needs in terms of separation from the harder stuff.

• Also listed as pitchers in the game against the Rangers: Yoshihisa Hirano, Nestor Cortes, Art Warren, Taylor Guilbeau, Dan Altavilla, Brandon Brennan, Anderson, Ian McKinney, Anthony Misiewicz, Penn Murfee.

• Add Taijuan Walker and Logan Gilbert to the Mariners probable starters. They will make their 2020 Cactus League debuts Thursday starting split squad games against the Giants (Walker) in Peoria and White Sox (Gilbert) in Glendale.

• The clubhouse is now officially full. The Mariners have signed outfielder Rymer Liriano to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training, bringing the total number of players in camp to 71. The 28 year old has spent parts of two seasons in the big leagues with the Padres and White Sox, accumulating a slash line of .220/.293/.304/.341 for a .646 OPS in 167 plate appearances.

• From the game notes:

Of the Mariners 71 players in big league camp 63 are 29 years old or younger, 22 are under 25.

Julio Rodriguez at 19 years 55 days is the youngest player in camp. Yoshisa Hirano, 35 years, 351 days, the oldest.

Thank you game notes.

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) February 23, 2020