Lineups for Mariners’ first intrasquad game

By Shannon Drayer

PEORIA, Ariz. – We have the first game action of the spring Tuesday as the Mariners will take on the Mariners in a five-inning intrasquad game. The game will feature mostly younger players in camp but we will get to see Nick Franklin at short.

Home

Almonte, 8
Avery, 7
Franklin, 6
Choi, 3
Blash, DH
Pina, 2
Triunfel, 5
Reynolds, 9
Noriega, 4

Away

Miller, 6
Jones, 8
Romero, 9
Montero, 3
Tenbrink, 3
Taylor, DH
Kelly, 4
Gilespie, 7
Sucre, 2

Scheduled to pitch: Elias, Noesi, Gillheeney, Bawcom, Arias, Fernandez, Carraway, Kohlschien, Ruffin.

• Elsewhere around camp, after two days off from throwing Taijuan Walker is scheduled to throw long toss. He is scheduled to throw again Wednesday but it is not clear if he is throwing a bullpen or playing catch.

“He is doing fine,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “He is going along with the program the trainers have for him.”

We do have a camp casualty to report. Third-base coach John Stearns will miss time after undergoing surgery to repair a hiatal hernia. Stearns will not be allowed to resume baseball activity for four to six weeks. The team is still deciding who will take his place until he gets back.

• Felix Hernandez is not throwing Tuesday but is locked in a battle with David Wright in the semifinals of the MLB Network’s “Face of MLB” contest. Felix will receive a vote for every tweet Tuesday and Wednesday morning, which includes #FelixHernandez and #FaceofMLB.

Felix, who along with the Mariners’ marketing department, is having a lot of fun with this, beat Andrew McCutchen, Chase Utley and last year’s champ, Joey Votto, to make it to the semis. A record 107,000 votes were cast in that battle against Votto, which Felix won 50.2 percent to 49.8 percent.

If you are on Twitter, and you should be, follow @Mariners throughout the day as they most likely will have a lot of fun stuff and a number of giveaways and contests aimed at getting more votes for Felix, who actually called a couple of voters last round. Each Twitter account is allowed 25 votes and it is as simple as giving a re-tweet. Vote now and vote often.

• Last “Cactus League Report” reminder: The show can be heard Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. on 710 ESPN Seattle. If you are in Peoria stop by the Salty Senorita for the taping, which will be from 7-9 p.m. local time. Guests scheduled to drop by include general manager Jack Zduriencik, infielders Brad Miller and Kyle Seager, pitchers Stephen Pryor and Erasmo Ramirez and Larry Stone of The Seattle Times.