Mariners notebook: Servais giving Guillermo Heredia more chances with Martin struggling

Mariners manager Scott Servais penciled in Guillermo Heredia to play for the second straight game Saturday, which also meant Leonys Martin was left on the bench for the second time in as many days. What makes that decision particularly significant is that while the righty-swinging Heredia started Friday against a left-handed pitcher, he was back in the lineup against Oakland righty Jharel Cotton on Saturday.

Martin has struggled mightily to begin the season, and while Servais didn’t say before Saturday’s game that the Mariners’ regular center fielder has had his role has been diminished, he comments seemed to indicate that things are perhaps becoming more fluid in Seattle’s outfield.

GM Jerry Dipoto on Felix Hernandez’s first four starts of 2017

“Guillermo’s swung the bat really well. Everybody knows Leonys is struggling a little bit,” Servais said, adding that Cotton’s numbers being better against lefties than those of a typical right-hander also factored in. “We’re gonna try to play the best guys … and obviously Heredia’s on a nice little roll. (He had a) good game at home, hit the home run the other day, good at-bats last night, so we’ll give him a chance to play. It’s such a long season and things turn. Trying to get somebody in there hot and give us a little spark and see if that helps.”

Heredia has had a nice start to the 2017 campaign, going 6 for 18 with six runs scored and a homer. After seeing limited playing time last year for Seattle, the 26-year-old Cuban has looked much more confident since arriving at spring training.

“I like the way Heredia’s swinging the bat. He’s giving us a little bit of energy,” Servais said. “He’s a really young player and he’s really improved. We saw it in spring training how his swing has tightened up, he’s driving the ball with a bit more authority and he’s got a kind of a knack for getting on-base, too.”

Notes

• Servais said reliever Steve Cishek had no ill effects after making his second rehab appearance in his return from offseason surgery to repair a torn hip labrum. It wasn’t Cishek’s cleanest outing, though. He gave up a hit and walked two in 2/3 of an inning pitching for Triple-A Tacoma on Friday, and Servais credited his long layoff for the lack of command. “Cishek wasn’t as sharp as he’d been previously. He felt fine. Just think release point, (the ball) wasn’t coming out great, but nothing physical at all. … The big thing is his body feels really good, no issue with the hip, shoulder feels good. It’s just sometimes you get out of whack mechanically because you haven’t pitched that much. It’s typical. He’s kind of going through spring training right now.” It will likely be at least a week until Cishek returns to the Mariners, as Servais has said previously the team wants him to make appearances in back-to-back games in the minors first, and the plan is not for him to pitch Saturday after Friday’s outing.

• Kyle Seager is getting the day off at third base in the Mariners’ game Saturday in Oakland. You can see the full lineup here.

Follow @BrentStecker