Mariners notebook: Will more changes follow the lineup shakeup?

I’m not sure who was more surprised to see Logan Morrison at the top of the lineup Monday afternoon. From the reaction on Twitter, there was plenty of surprise with the public. Morrison himself was surprised. And then there was Nelson Cruz.

“Is this for real?” he asked with a laugh, thinking that perhaps it wasn’t.

“We are just trying to shake things up a little bit,” Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said in his pregame media session. “Listen, you go to a fishing hole, you don’t catch any fish, at some point you have to change the hole. We are just trying to shake things up. Hopefully this will jump start things a little bit. We’ll see.”

With the Mariners at or near the bottom of the American League in most hitting categories, a shakeup is needed. While this lineup order isn’t something we will most likely see for long, McClendon believes that veering from the familiar could have an impact.

“It kind of shocks you a little bit,” McClendon said. “It jump starts. You see things from a different perspective. We all know our guys are very talented and certainly capable of getting it done. We got to get it done. It’s my job to try to change things up, shake them up a bit. We’ll see.”

One of the biggest shakeups is for Robinson Cano, who had hit in one spot and one spot only as a Mariner. On Monday he’s hitting second rather than third, though.

“I don’t mind,” Cano said about being informed by McClendon that he would hit second. “Whatever you want to do. I’m not in position now to say I want to do this or I want to do that. Maybe it will help me out. Who knows what can happen.”

What needs to happen is this team needs to hit. McClendon is acutely aware of that. If the Mariners don’t, we soon could see other changes.

“More changes? I would imagine so,” he said. “This is a business of results, positive results. You can talk about expectations and what we know we can do but the fact is you got to get it done. If we don’t get it done there will be changes, absolutely. That’s the nature of the business.”

While asserting that he believes this group will soon hit its stride, and that even at this late date some patience is still required, McClendon knows that the clock is ticking and that the Mariners are fortunate nobody has run away with the division.

“The fact is, if Robbie Cano, Cruz and (Kyle) Seager don’t hit, we are not going to win,” he said. “And if we continue not to hit, then you will be talking to someone else. I will be driving a garbage truck. That’s just the way it goes.”

A lineup switch is a step. We are now at the 50-game mark, so less playing time for those underperforming would be the next step. Total replacement is not off the table as McClendon and general manager Jack Zduriencik talk every day about the possibility of moves.

“We see what we see, and the players make you feel the way you feel,” McClendon said. “You have to be smart about what you do and how you do it and when you do it. Last year around this time we were 26-28 and the world was coming to an end. You have to show some patience. We are a much more talented club than last year, expectations are higher than last year. We talk every day about making the club better.”

Lineup!

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

Felix Hernandez, RHP

Notes

• The Mariners made a roster move before the game. Chris Taylor has been optioned to Tacoma and Mayckol Guaipe called up to help the bullpen. Taylor hit .159 in 68 plate appearance and McClendon was concerned things were going in the wrong direction for him.

“I love the kid,” he said. “I told him, ‘I love you and I think you are going to be a terrific shortstop in this league. At the same time I cannot allow you to continue to swim uphill.’ It’s tough to straighten things out at this level. It’s hard. He needs to take a step back. This gives him a chance to take a breather, relax a little and get it back together. He’ll be OK.”

• While it will not be officially announced until after the game, Mike Montgomery will start for the Mariners on Tuesday.

• Hisashi Iwakuma is scheduled to throw his first bullpen Thursday since hitting the disabled list. If all goes well he should throw a couple more and then progress to a simulated game or two. McClendon said he is a couple of weeks away from a rehab assignment and that he would like to get him two or three starts in the minors before he returns.

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