Mariners Update

Mariners vs. Colorado Rockies, 6:05 p.m. (PST)

Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)

TV: Fox Sports Net

Pitchers: Right-hander Freddy Garcia is scheduled to work the first five innings for the Mariners, followed by left-hander Mike Myers and right-handers J.J. Putz and Scott Atchison.

Joel Pineiro got his work in, and he has the bruise to show for it.

Today, he’ll learn if it will cost him any time on the mound.

Pineiro, the talented right-handed pitcher elevated to second in the Mariners’ rotation this year, took a line drive off his right forearm in the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson.

The Diamondbacks won 3-2 with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning, a meaningless result on a day that could loom large depending on Pineiro’s condition.

He completed his work, pitching effectively for five innings, but had a dark bruise with the stitches of the baseball hit by Danny Bautista visible just below his right elbow.

“That was a missile,” Mariners manager Bob Melvin said.

The ball hit Pineiro so hard that it bounced on the fly into shallow left field.

“My arm was the only thing I could lift in time,” Pineiro said. “They wanted to take me out right then in the second inning, but I needed work. I told them if I couldn’t pitch, I’d tell them.”

Pineiro will try to play catch this morning in Peoria.

“I couldn’t pick up a baseball right now,” he said Monday afternoon. “If I can’t play catch, that’s a problem.”

No injuries of concern, although Pineiro will be watched closely today.

“If you’re in your trot out of the batter’s box, you’d better know if it’s out.”

Bret Boone, when asked if he knew he’d hit a home run the moment he connected against Randy Johnson on Monday.

As if Pineiro didn’t have enough to deal with after being impaled with the second-inning line drive, Randy Johnson stopped his heart again later in the game. On Pineiro’s second at-bat, Johnson threw a slider behind Pineiro’s knees.

Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer