SEATTLE — After 14 games in 14 days, the Seattle Mariners get a well-deserved day off today. They are the last team in all of major league baseball to have an off day.
The probably better enjoy it, because once they return they will have 16 games in 16 days.
So what does manager Eric Wedge want to say to the MLB schedule maker?
“It’s … you know what,” he said, catching himself. “I just saved myself a fine right there. I’ve never gone through a period where you open the season with 14 straight days and then you have a day off and go 16 straight. It is what it is.”
What it is, is a grind for a team that has two injured outfielders and possibly without one of its best relief pitchers.
“Everybody needs it,” he said. “It’s long overdue for all the guys. They’ve been troopers and they’ve grinded through this. This off day should help them.”
Wedge hopes with the day off that he will have Franklin Gutierrez (tight leg muscles) and Michael Morse (fractured pinky) back in the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against the Detroit Tigers.
“Morse is going to come in tomorrow and do some work and see how he feels,” Wedge said.
Most of the players don’t have major plans other than relaxing with their families.
It’s going to be exciting,” Dustin Ackley deadpanned.
Exciting as in sleeping?
“More than likely,” Ackley said.
Pryor strains lat
Stephen Pryor became the latest injury casualty for the Mariners. The hard-throwing reliever left Sunday’s game in the eighth inning with tightness in the lattismus dorsi (lat) under his right-arm.
The Mariners medical staff’s preliminary diagnosis is a strain.
“We have to see how wakes up and how he feels tomorrow and evaluate him then,” Wedge said.
Pryor said he felt tightness under his arm pit in his second inning of work. It got progressively worse and after getting Nelson Cruz to pop out to right, he motioned for the Wedge and the Mariners’ training staff.
“It feels like a cramp is the best way to describe it,” Pryor said. “It was the last couple pitches to (Lance) Berkman and it progressively got worse as I faced Cruz.”
Pryor is hoping it isn’t serious. He said the tightness had actually subsided since he left the game.
“I don’t believe so,” he said if it would keep him out for a while. “I guess we’ll find out.”
It would be a tough loss for the Mariners bullpen. Pryor has been outstanding this season, not allowing a run in seven appearances and striking out seven batters in 71/3 innings.
“With the off day, we don’t have to make any decisions tonight, so we’ll give it some time,” Wedge said. “He’s been outstanding. He was outstanding again today. If we do lose him for a period of time, that would be tough. But it’s a part of the game and someone else will have to step up.”
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