Mariners Update

Opponent: San Diego Padres

When: 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Safeco Field

TV: FSN, all three games.

Radio: KOMO (1000 AM), all three games.

Pitchers: Friday – Seattle right-hander Ryan Franklin (2-4, 4.20) vs. right-hander Jake Peavy (3-0, 2.57 earned run average). Saturday – Right-hander Gil Meche (3-2, 5.25) vs. right-hander Brian Lawrence (2-4, 5.24). Sunday – Right-hander Aaron Sele (2-4, 5.62) vs. right-hander Tim Stauffer (1-0, 3.46).

Big step forward

The faster-than-expected comeback of pitcher Rafael Soriano reached a milestone when he pitched in his first game since undergoing major elbow surgery last August.

Soriano threw one inning Tuesday for the rookie-level Peoria Mariners at extended spring training in Arizona, his first game action since May 14 last year.

The Mariners have long believed that Soriano, 25, can become one of the dominant right-handed relievers in baseball. Before the injury, he threw his fastball at 98 mph.

“He’s back (on the mound) sooner than we had expected, but in the same respect we have to be smart,” pitching coach Bryan Price said. “We have a protocol to follow.”

The Mariners want Soriano to pitch at least a dozen innings at extended spring training, then move him up in their minor league system as he builds arm strength.

“We need to get him a legitimate spring training,” Price said.

Soriano gave up two hits and two runs in a 21-pitch inning Tuesday.

“He hit a couple of guys, but he threw fine,” said Price, who won’t allow himself to think about when Soriano might be ready to pitch for the Mariners.

“I won’t even think about something like that until I see what he’s doing at the next level,” Price said.

Beltre takes a seat: Grudgingly, third baseman Adrian Beltre sat out Wednesday night’s game because of tightness in his left hamstring.

Manager Mike Hargrove pulled him from Tuesday’s game after it became obvious the hamstring was bothering him, although Beltre tried to convince his skipper to leave him in the game.

Beltre clearly wasn’t pleased to have been pulled Tuesday, saying after the game that he has played for years with tightness in his hamstrings

Asked if Beltre is stubborn, Hargrove wouldn’t disagree.

“He wants to play,” Hargrove said. “It’s a good stubborn. He feels like he can play on this thing, and if we didn’t have (today) off, we might have.”

With no game today, Hargrove decided Beltre’s hamstring would benefit more if he didn’t play Wednesday.

“That will give him two days and hopefully take the edge off this thing,” Hargrove said.

With Beltre out, Hargrove juggled the lineup Wednesday.

Greg Dobbs took Beltre’s spot at third base, Randy Winn was the designated hitter as he got a day of rest from playing the field, and Raul Ibanez started in left field for the second time this season.

Let’s talk: The Mariners, who had lost 13 of their previous 15 games, held a players-only meeting before batting practice Wednesday. Hargrove welcomed it.

“I see it as a good thing,” Hargrove said. “Players on good teams hold each other accountable, and I think that’s what this is about more than anything. They asked my permission and it was done with my blessing.”

Back to the pen: Don’t look for Julio Mateo to start a game anytime soon, despite his solid outing Tuesday night against the Yankees.

“Will he get another start? Probably not,” Hargrove said. “This was more of a one-shot deal to see if he can do it, and I think we came away knowing if we need him to, he could.”

Mateo started in place of Joel Pineiro, who was optioned to Class AAA Tacoma to work on his mechanics. Pineiro is expected to be called back up and start Tuesday’s game at Baltimore.

Mateo gave up five hits and five runs in five innings, tagged hard only by Alex Rodriguez’s two-run homer in the fifth inning.

“The runs they scored were on some broken-bat hits,” Hargrove said. “Julio threw strikes and he competed well. Against a lineup like that, I thought he did a very good job.

Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer