In the swing of things
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, June 19, 2004
In the swing of things
Seattle got good news from home Saturday. Outfielder Raul Ibanez has begun hitting off a batting tee, his first baseball-related activity since going on the disabled list with a strained hamstring June 4.
“If he’s back before the All-Star game, he’ll be ahead of schedule,” manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s going to have to play through the soreness for awhile once he’s healthy, and you’ve got to be careful with that injury. If you do it again, you’re talking about missing the season.”
More good news: Reliever Rafael Soriano has been cleared to begin playing catch,something he hasn’t done since May 12, when he was put on the DL with a strained right elbow. It’s the first time since the injury that Soriano’s elbow was tested and he felt no pain.
Maybe he should be in the lineup more often: Jamie Moyer’s RBI single Friday gave him a three-game hitting streak dating back to last June, matching the longest streak of any active Mariner currently on the roster.
Larry LaRue, The News Tribune
