Mariners notebook: A rotation twist and a setback for Iwakuma

The Mariners are doing something today they will not do very much for the next month and a half, playing a game after a day off. After averaging a day off a week to start the season, the Mariners will play 26 games in the next 27 days and 42 games in the next 44.

James Paxton has the opportunity to pick up what the rotation has been doing of late and start that stretch on a good note.

After a rocky, bullpen-depleting start from the Mariners rotation, the group has settled in nicely, putting up a 2.20 ERA since April 21. With few days off, they will need to put up innings in their starts to keep the bullpen from getting overworked. The bullpen, to its credit, has had a turnaround of its own, surrendering just two earned runs in its last 12 innings.

The pitching news isn’t all good as manager Lloyd McClendon announced today that Hisashi Iwakuma, who has been out with a lat strain since April 24, came up with stiffness after throwing and has been shut down for 10-14 days. Lat strains can be tricky as we saw with Paxton last year and McClendon said the team will take no chances with Iwakuma.

“His rehab is not going as well as we thought it would have gone,” McClendon said. “Any time you have any type of lat strain, you have got to be careful with it. It just makes sense to back him off.”

After the shutdown, the Mariners will evaluate whether or not Iwakuma can resume throwing.

Lineup!

Seth Smith, LF
Brad Miller, DH
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nelson Cruz, RF
Kyle Seager, 3B
Logan Morrison, 1B
Dustin Ackley, CF
Mike Zunino, C
Chris Taylor, SS

James Paxton, LHP

M’s switching Elias, Walker

McClendon is flip-flopping Roenis Elias and Taijuan Walker in the rotation this week. Walker will pitch Wednesday against the Padres and Elias will go Thursday against the Red Sox. Walker will be pitching on regular rest as the Mariners had the off day Monday. Elias will go on extra rest. The reason for the switch?

“It really didn’t have a lot to do with (Elias). It was more so trying to line up our lefties facing Boston. And it doesn’t hurt to have a right-hander facing this club as well,” McClendon said.

With an off day on Monday, McClendon said they could make another adjustment with the starters but at this point he sees no reason to skip any of them.

Notes

• Austin Jackson is making good progress with his injured ankle. He was scheduled to run the bases before tonight’s game and has been hitting as well. Jackson told me he has been running but had yet to turn and the bases should be his final test. Jackson is eligible to come off the disabled list on May 19 and could be sent on a rehab assignment soon.

• You may have heard of the T-shirts the relievers have been wearing. They showed up about the time Joe Beimel showed up and that is not a coincidence, according to Charlie Furbush.

“Day 1, Joe shows up with a classic bullpen T-shirt,” Furbush said. “‘Arrive. Raise hell. Leave.’ He was prepared. He probably had those shirts waiting. He was here one day and the next thing we know, we have T-shirts.”

Furbush said Beimel and Mark Lowe have brought more to the bullpen than T-shirts.

“Guys that have been around for awhile I think kind of bring a little bit of a calming effect to some guys knowing that in the bullpen it can get kind of stressful knowing the situations you might have to go into,” he said. “They do a good job of keeping it simple and keeping it relaxed down there.”

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