Opponent: New York Yankees

When: 7:05 p.m.

Where: Safeco Field

TV: Fox Sports Net

Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)

Pitchers: Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez (2-1, 1.75 earned run average) vs. left-hander Randy Johnson (12-8, 4.20).

Bloomquist on DL

Willie Bloomquist had worked too hard to win a regular place in the Mariners’ lineup for a leg cramp to keep him from playing.

At least, that’s what he was thinking Monday when he felt the back of his left leg tighten up as he ran to first base in the fifth inning.

“I just thought it was a cramp, and that’s why I was trying to get them to let me stay in the game,” Bloomquist said.

Then he tried to stretch the sore leg and realized it was more than a cramp. Bloomquist left the game and, Tuesday, went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained hamstring.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I was starting to enjoy everyday playing, starting to get into a routine. That more than anything frustrates me.”

Bloomquist became the Mariners’ regular second baseman after they designated Bret Boone for assignment on July 3 and was shedding his reputation as a bench player. He is batting .257 this season with a career-high 14 stolen bases.

“I have done my best to get rid of that utility tag. I’d like to think that maybe I have opened up an eye or two and shown that I can be an everyday player,” he said. “Hopefully I have done enough to warrant more playing time when I come back.”

While hamstring injuries can take a long time to heal, Bloomquist is hoping to return before the season ends Oct. 2.

“I’ve heard some guys say it felt like they got shot when they pull one, but this felt more like a cramp,” he said. “Hopefully that’s a good sign. But I am no trainer and I’ve never had this before.”

Lopez returns: Jose Lopez, recalled from Class AAA Tacoma to replace Bloomquist, was thrilled to be back in the majors even though it meant missing a chance to celebrate a division title with the Rainiers.

“I’m back ready to stay this time,” he said. “I don’t want to go back to the minor leagues. This is my time.”

Lopez was batting .319 with Tacoma, which held a three-game division lead with seven remaining, when he was pulled from Monday night’s game at Las Vegas.

” (Manager) Dan Rohn pulled me out after I hit into a double play, and he asked me, ‘Why did you swing at that pitch?’ and I told him because it was a strike,” Lopez said. “Then he said, ‘Forget about it. You’re going back to the big leagues.’”

This is Lopez’s third stint with the Mariners this season, and he believes he’s better prepared this time. He was batting .228 when the M’s optioned him to Tacoma with instructions to hit the ball up the middle and to the opposite field. He did, compiling a 17-game hitting streak at one point.

New left fielder: After weeks of afternoon workouts to learn the position, Mike Morse started in left field Tuesday night for the first time.

“He has done well out there and if we didn’t feel he could hold his own, we wouldn’t put him out there,” manager Mike Hargrove said.

Morse lost his place at shortstop when the Mariners called up Yuniesky Betancourt but, wanting to keep his bat in the lineup, began training him in left field.

Of note: Felix Hernandez is making waves in the major leagues with the Mariners, but he won an impressive minor league honor Tuesday when the Pacific Coast League named him its rookie of the year. The award is chosen by league managers and media. Hernandez went 9-4 with a 2.25 ERA with the Tacoma Rainiers. … Alex Rodriguez started at DH Tuesday after suffering a mild groin strain during Monday’s game. Mark Bellhorn, signed earlier in the day, started at third for the Yankees. Bellhorn had been designated for assignment by the Red Sox. … Yankees DH Gary Sheffield had his two-game suspension reduced to one by Major League Baseball, and he served the suspension Tuesday. He was suspended after being ejected from a game June 30 when he argued a call and threw his helmet. … Volunteers from the Mariners and the American Red Cross will collect donations outside Safeco Field before games today and Thursday to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Kirby Arnold, Herald writer