Lopez is showing the arm strength to play third base
Saturday, February 27, 2010 | 11:45 am
It's still way too soon to know if Jose Lopez has everything it takes to become the third baseman the Mariners hope he can be. What they've learned so far is that Lopez has the arm to play the position.
"His arm plays at third base," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "That slow roller, he's got enough arm strength to do that."
Wakamatsu said he planned to stick with Lopez at third and Chone Figgins at second through about half the exhibition schedule.
"I don't have an exact date, but we want to be able to see them a little bit," Wakamatsu said.
If it doesn't work out, Wakamatsu said it'll be important to give both enough games to become comfortable back at their regular positions -- Lopez at second and Figgins at third -- before the regular season begins.
"But these guys have played the majority of time at those positions, so I think the flip side is that we can extend that at little bit if we're still not sure," Wakamatsu said. "But we'd like to make some kind of decision fairly early."
Other notes from today's work:
--Cliff Lee threw off the bullpen mound and, if his schedule holds, he'll throw again Tuesday with a simulated game Friday.
--Felix Hernandez throw bullpens Sunday and Tuesday.
--The Mariners will play an 8 1/2-inning intrasquad game starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday and a five-inning game at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Those games will be played on Field 1 of the Mariners' practice facility and, like all morning workouts, there is no admission charge for fans.
--The Mariners have signed right-handed pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen to a minor league contract in hopes the 26-year-old can resurrect a career that stalled out in 2003 after only a couple of seasons because of substance abuse. The Brewers, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2002, suspended him in 2004 after he'd gone 5-5 with a 2.76 earned run average at Class A Beloit. The Brewers signed Wilhelmsen again last summer after he'd pitched independent ball in Tucson, but he suffered an elbow injury that required surgery seven months ago. He will continue his rehab in Peoria beginning tomorrow and isn't expected to ready when the Mariners' minor league teams start their seasons in April.
The Mariners also will take a look Monday at right-handed pitcher Pat Bresnehan, a 24-year-old who was the Pirates' fifth-round pick in the 2006 draft. He went 0-1, 4.29 in 38 relief outings last yera at Class AA Altoona in the Pirates' organization.
One whose comeback won't happen with the Mariners is pitcher Cha Seung Baek, who worked out for the team last week in Peoria but didn't show enough to warrant further interest.
"His arm plays at third base," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "That slow roller, he's got enough arm strength to do that."
Wakamatsu said he planned to stick with Lopez at third and Chone Figgins at second through about half the exhibition schedule.
"I don't have an exact date, but we want to be able to see them a little bit," Wakamatsu said.
If it doesn't work out, Wakamatsu said it'll be important to give both enough games to become comfortable back at their regular positions -- Lopez at second and Figgins at third -- before the regular season begins.
"But these guys have played the majority of time at those positions, so I think the flip side is that we can extend that at little bit if we're still not sure," Wakamatsu said. "But we'd like to make some kind of decision fairly early."
Other notes from today's work:
--Cliff Lee threw off the bullpen mound and, if his schedule holds, he'll throw again Tuesday with a simulated game Friday.
--Felix Hernandez throw bullpens Sunday and Tuesday.
--The Mariners will play an 8 1/2-inning intrasquad game starting at 10:30 a.m. Monday and a five-inning game at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Those games will be played on Field 1 of the Mariners' practice facility and, like all morning workouts, there is no admission charge for fans.
--The Mariners have signed right-handed pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen to a minor league contract in hopes the 26-year-old can resurrect a career that stalled out in 2003 after only a couple of seasons because of substance abuse. The Brewers, who drafted him in the seventh round in 2002, suspended him in 2004 after he'd gone 5-5 with a 2.76 earned run average at Class A Beloit. The Brewers signed Wilhelmsen again last summer after he'd pitched independent ball in Tucson, but he suffered an elbow injury that required surgery seven months ago. He will continue his rehab in Peoria beginning tomorrow and isn't expected to ready when the Mariners' minor league teams start their seasons in April.
The Mariners also will take a look Monday at right-handed pitcher Pat Bresnehan, a 24-year-old who was the Pirates' fifth-round pick in the 2006 draft. He went 0-1, 4.29 in 38 relief outings last yera at Class AA Altoona in the Pirates' organization.
One whose comeback won't happen with the Mariners is pitcher Cha Seung Baek, who worked out for the team last week in Peoria but didn't show enough to warrant further interest.
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