PEORIA, Ariz. – Jose Lopez isn’t sure what surprised him more, being called up in July to become the Seattle Mariners’ starting shortstop or finding out in January that he didn’t have that job anymore.
The Mariners’ offseason signing of veteran Pokey Reese relegated the 21-year-old Lopez to a probable summer at Class AAA Tacoma.
There’s one huge “if,” however.
Reese, a stellar defensive player, has a history of injury. He missed 45 games with the Red Sox last year because of a strained rib cage, his third stint on the disabled list in the past three seasons.
That history reared itself again this week when Reese sprained his left ankle during a defensive drill on his second workout of spring training.
Now, Lopez is back in the forefront of the Mariners’ shortstop plans.
“I need to concentrate this spring,” he said Thursday. “I’ve got a chance to win a job here at spring training.”
Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said he’s comfortable with the team’s backup possibilities to Reese, even though Lopez is just 21 and has 57 games of major league experience.
“We’ve got some guys, Lopez and Ramon Santiago, who I’m comfortable with,” Hargrove said.
Santiago is a non-roster invitee, as are veteran Benji Gil and minor leaguers Ricky Gutierrez and Adam Jones. Willie Bloomquist also plays shortstop, plus every other position on the infield and in the outfield.
Regardless if Reese is healthy or not, Lopez wants to play every day and he plans to force the Mariners into a tough decision.
“I will play hard and wait for my chance, if it comes in one month, two months,” Lopez said. “If I go to Tacoma, I will play the same way.”
For at least a few days, Lopez and the others will get the repetitions at shortstop as Reese recovers from his sprained ankle. Reese spent all day Thursday in the trainer’s room having the ankle treated with ice and electronic stimulation, and attached to a pressurized sleeve to help increase circulation.
“He won’t be happy when we’re finished with him, because he’s got to go through that from 7:30 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon,” trainer Rick Griffin said.
Snelling hurting: Chris Snelling had hoped to finally get through a spring training without being injured. After just three days, that hope may have disappeared.
The hard-playing, oft-injured outfielder had a magnetic resonance imaging exam on his left knee Thursday afternoon after he reported soreness following Wednesday’s workout.
Results of the MRI weren’t expected to be known until today when Dr. Larry Pedegana, the team medical director, reads it.
“He didn’t do anything to hurt it,” trainer Rick Griffin said. “He felt something and Dr. Pedegana wanted to get an MRI.”
It’s the same knee Snelling injured on June 4, 2002, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament while rounding third base in a game at Oakland. Snelling has played just 65 minor league games since then, suffering from knee, hand, wrist and elbow problems.
“I view this more as a precaution than anything,” Hargrove said.
Apology in order: Hargrove was talking Thursday about closer Eddie Guardado when he remembered an incident involving the two when they were opponents three seasons ago.
Hargrove was managing the Baltimore Orioles and Guardado was on the mound trying to save a Minnesota Twins victory in the 2002 season, when Hargrove saw what he thought was pine tar on the side of Guardado’s uniform pants.
Hargrove protested to umpire Jim Joyce, and Joyce approached Guardado.
“I don’t cheat. It was mud and water,” said Guardado, who also remembers the incident. “Jim Joyce came out and he motioned toward Hargrove and said, ‘He wants me to check out the spot on your pants.’”
Guardado remembers gesturing toward the Orioles dugout in disgust.
“I was saying, ‘What the …. Come on, man, let’s just play ball,’” Guardado said.
The Orioles came back and beat the Twins.
“He got me,” Guardado said. “I lost my concentration.”
Now that they’re on the same team, Hargrove laughs about the incident and says he’ll tell Guardado he’s sorry.
“You know you’ve been around too long when you have to go around apologizing to your current players for messing with them years ago,” Hargrove said.
Pitching plan: Gil Meche is scheduled to start the Mariners’ B game against the Padres on Wednesday and Ryan Franklin the first exhibition game against the Padres on Thursday. Joel Pineiro will start March 4 against Milwaukee and Jamie Moyer on March 5 against the Padres. Teen-age prospect Felix Hernandez’s first game will be March 5 when he follows Moyer to the mound.
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