Mariners notes: O’Malley one of MLB’s fastest out of the box

Published 1:30 am Monday, August 29, 2016

It’s probably no surprise that ESPN found Cincinnati speedster Billy Hamilton to be the fastest player from home-to-first in breaking down times when a player hits a potential double-play grounder.

Hamilton tracked at 3.93 seconds.

No surprise either that Miami shortstop Dee Gordon is second at 3.98 seconds or that Kansas City (and former Oakland) outfielder Billy Burns is third at 3.99 seconds.

The fourth-fastest player is Mariners utilityman Shawn O’Malley at 4.01 seconds.

“He does get down the line well,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said of O’Malley, “and he always runs hard.”

The No. 5 player might surprise you: It’s 42-year-old Ichiro Suzuki, currently with the Marlins, at 4.03 seconds.

60 and counting

Robinson Cano’s home run in Sunday’s 4-1 loss to the White Sox at Chicago was his 60th extra-base hit of the season. He entered Monday with 29 doubles, one triple and 30 home runs.

This is the seventh time in Cano’s 12-year career that he’s reached 60 extra-base hits, but it’s the first time he’s done it in his three seasons with the Mariners. He had 56 extra-base hits in 2015 and 53 in 2014.

Cano’s career high is 82 extra-base hits in 2012 with the New York Yankees.

No bounce-back yet

Dae-Ho Lee’s first two games since returning to the big leagues looked a lot like the struggling player the Mariners sent to the minors earlier in August for a seven-game remedial tour.

Lee had three strikeouts in four at-bats Saturday and Sunday against the White Sox — although he did have a walk and reached another time when hit by a pitch.

While at Triple-A Tacoma, Lee had 14 hits in 27 at-bats, which prompted the Mariners to recall him prior to Saturday’s game in Chicago. Lee was in a 4-for-51 slump when optioned to the Rainiers Aug. 19.

Adam Lind started Monday against Texas right-hander Yu Darvish, but Lee figures to return to the lineup for next two games against Rangers lefties Cole Hamels and Martin Perez.

“We need to get (Lee) going,” Servais said. “He’ll play (Tuesday), and we’ll see how it goes.”

All-PCL Team

Triple-A Tacoma placed two players on the All-Pacific Coast League team: outfielder Stefen Romero and designated hitter Dan Vogelbach.

It marks the first time since 2001 that two Rainiers were picked to the 12-player team, which includes three pitchers. The 2001 Rainiers had three players: first baseman Todd Betts, shortstop Ramon Vasquez and right-hander Dennis Stark.

Romero, 27, is batting .314 in 102 games through Sunday with 21 homers and 84 RBI.

Vogelbach, 23, spent much of the season at Iowa before joining the Rainiers after the Mariners acquired him in a July 20 trade from the Chicago Cubs. Through Sunday, he is batting a combined .295 in 127 games with 21 homers and 90 RBI.

The rest of the All-PCL team:

El Paso (Padres) catcher Austin Hedges, Reno (Diamondbacks) first baseman Kyle Jensen, El Paso second baseman Carlos Asuaje, Colorado Springs (Brewers) shortstop Orlando Arcia, Oklahoma City (Dodgers) third baseman Rob Segedin, El Paso outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe, Fresno (Astros) right-hander Brady Rogers, Sacramento (Giants) left-hander Ty Blach and Fresno reliever James Hoyt.

Minor extension

The Mariners reached agreement with Lo-A Clinton on a two-year extension of their player-development contract through 2018. The LumberKings have been a Mariners affiliate since 2009.

Clinton is 81-52 this season, through Sunday, and already has clinched a spot in the Midwest League playoffs for the first time since 2013. A year ago, the LumberKings endured a nightmarish 46-93 season.

“This year has been a magical year for us,” Clinton general manager Ted Tornow said, “as it has been a recommitment to playing baseball.”

The Lumberkings are managed by Lake Stevens High School graduate Mitch Canham.

Looking back

It was 23 years ago Tuesday — Aug. 30, 1993 — that the Mariners reached an agreement with shortstop Alex Rodriguez, whom they selected with the first overall pick on June 3 in the MLB Draft.

Rodriguez, then 18, received a three-year deal for $1.3 million plus a $1 million bonus. Less than a year later — July 8, 1994 — he made his major-league debut.

Short hops

Servais said the Mariners aren’t planning to adjust their rotation because of Thursday’s open date in the schedule. That suggests they will start Ariel Miranda, Taijuan Walker and Hisashi Iwakuma this weekend against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. … The Mariners entered Monday with a 20-percent chance of reaching the postseason, according to the latest computer projections by www.FiveThirtyEight.com. … One difference to note between AL West-leading Texas and the Mariners, who began the week tied for second place at 81/2 games behind: the Rangers are 29-8 in one-run games, and the Mariners are 23-24.

Bob Dutton, The News Tribune