SEATTLE — Ichiro Suzuki didn’t get a day off Tuesday, but he did get a bit more rest than usual. The Mariners’ regular right fielder was still in the lineup against Oakland, but as the designated hitter. The move gave Eric Wedge another way to get Casper Wells, who has been hitting well since being recalled from Tacoma earlier in the month, into the lineup, but it also allowed the 38-year-old Suzuki a chance for a bit of rest.
“I’m trying to get Casper in there a little bit more, especially against left-handers,” Wedge said. “And it’s a good chance to get Ichi off his feet and let him swing the bat.”
A day of DHing may not be as beneficial as a true day off, but it can still help keep a player fresh, Wedge said.
“It helps a little bit,” he said. “It’s not the same as an off day, but it does help him physically. A lot of times, the true off days are more about the mental side of things, but this does help physically, yeah.”
The move also is another example of Wedge slightly reducing Suzuki’s role. When he held Suzuki out of the lineup for a game last week, Wedge said he was going to start making occasional days off a more common occurrence for Suzuki, a player who has played nearly every day throughout his career. Wedge wants to give Suzuki more days off not just because it allows other players to get into the lineup, but also because he believes it will benefit Suzuki. Following the day off last week, Suzuki went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, and in the last week he has raised his batting average from .255 to .273 with a six-game hitting streak heading into Tuesday’s game.
“I’ve said it all along, I think he does benefit by giving him an off day every now and then or letting him DHing a little bit,” Wedge said.
Trying to repeat success
The lone bright spot Monday in another evening of Mariners offensive ineptitude was the performance of rookie starter Erasmo Ramirez, who was the hard-luck loser in a 1-0 game. Ramirez, who was making his third start since rejoining the team from Triple-A Tacoma, struck out 10 while allowing three hits in eight innings.
Impressive? Sure. But Wedge says it will also be important for Ramirez to be able to sustain some success, and not revert to the form that caused him to give up 11 earned runs in his first two starts.
“His focus was better,” Wedge said. “I felt like he was on the plate and down better, so yeah, he was more aggressive, pitching more to contact. He struck out 10 because he got ahead and stayed ahead … He just needs to be very aware of what he was doing last night. Today it starts all over. Now we need to go out and repeat it, that’s what it’s all about out there.”
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