SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners have less than three weeks to decide whether veteran outfielder Carlos Quentin merits a spot on their big-league roster.
Quentin, 32, has a May 12 opt-out in his minor-league deal, which he signed Wednesday before taking batting practice for Triple-A Tacoma.
Club officials view Quentin as a possible right-handed alternative to Logan Morrison at first base. He played that position in spring training for San Diego prior to an April 5 trade that sent him to Atlanta.
Barring an injury, however, it’s hard to see where Quentin fits on the Mariners’ big-league roster, which currently has four reserves: Jesus Sucre, Willie Bloomquist, Rickie Weeks and Justin Ruggiano.
Sucre is the backup catcher; Bloomquist is a utilityman who is the roster’s only proven backup shortstop; Ruggiano is the only outfielder capable of playing all three positions, and Weeks has more versatility than Quentin.
Bloomquist, Ruggiano and Weeks also are each making $2 million or more. Quentin is making $8 million, but the Mariners are only paying a pro-rated portion of the major-league minimum salary ($507,500).
Quentin battled chronic knee problems that limited him to fewer than 90 games in each of the past three seasons. He batted just .177 last season in 50 games for the Padres with four homers and 18 RBI.
Wilhelmsen timetable
Reliever Tom Wilhelmsen is expected to throw Friday for the first time since suffering a hyperextended right elbow in an April 11 pre-game workout in Oakland.
The projected rehab schedule suggests Wilhelmsen won’t return to active duty for another two weeks — or roughly May 8, when the Mariners open a nine-game homestand with the first of three games against the A’s.
Looking back
It was 21 years ago Friday — April 24, 1994 — that Ken Griffey Jr. hit a three-run homer at Baltimore’s Camden Yards that soared out of the ballpark and landed on Eutaw Street beyond the right-field wall.
The estimated distance was 438 feet.
More important, it came in the eighth inning and rallied the Mariners to a 7-6 victory over the Orioles. Griffey’s homer came off reliever Brad Pennington and snatched a victory away from future teammate Jamie Moyer.
Short hops
Nelson Cruz has RBI in eight of his past 11 games and, through Wednesday, led the majors. His eight home runs also led the majors. … Robinson Cano has hits in nine straight games and is batting .405 (15-for-37) in that span. … Brad Miller is hitting .500 (9-for-18) in his past six games. … Fernando Rodney got his 52nd save as a Mariner in closing out Wednesday’s victory. That ties Bill Caudill (1982-83) and Brandon League (2010-12) for ninth place in franchise history. Next on the list is Wilhelmsen with 54. The all-time leader is Kazuhiro Sasaki with 129 from 2000-03.
On tap
The Mariners close out their nine-game homestand with three weekend games against the Minnesota Twins. Right-hander Felix Hernandez (2-0. 2.37) will pitch the series opener against Minnesota right-hander Phil Hughes (0-3, 5.30) at 7:10 p.m. Friday at Safeco Field.
The game can be seen on Root Sports and heard on 710 ESPN.
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