Opponent: Anaheim Angels
When: 7:05 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
Where: Edison International Field in Anaheim, Calif.
TV: None Tuesday, Fox Sports Net (cable) Wednesday
Radio: KIRO (710 AM) both games
Pitchers: Tuesday – Seattle right-hander Paul Abbott (16-4, 4.27 earned run average) vs. left-hander Jarrod Washburn (11-9, 3.57)
Concern at shortstop: With the chances slim that Carlos Guillen will feel good enough to play when the postseason begins next week, Mariners manager Lou Piniella said rookie shortstop Ramon Vazquez could make the playoff roster.
That seemed like an impossible scenario when Vazquez was called up from Class AAA Tacoma, but now it seems necessary with Guillen in the hospital with tuberculosis. Guillen may be released from the hospital today, Piniella said.
“There’s an outside possibility that the medicine will take hold,” Piniella said. “We’re holding onto that. We might carry Vazquez even if we get Carlos back, just for protection.”
The left side of the infield has taken a dramatic about-face in the past three weeks, with third baseman David Bell out with a strained muscle in his rib cage, Mark McLemore sidelined because of a sore left knee and Guillen out with his illness. Bell won’t play until the weekend, at best.
“We’d like to get Bell back and we’d like to get Guillen back,” Piniella said. “If not, we’ll go with McLemore at shortstop and I’m not sure what we’ll do at third.
“We could use (Ed) Sprague at third against a left-hander, and we could go with Vazquez at shortstop and McLemore at third. We’ve got a week to determine that.”
The Mariners won’t need to set their 25-man roster for the first round until the day of Game 1, Oct. 9.
“We haven’t found out who our opponent is,” Piniella said. “That’ll have a bearing. The health of our ballclub will have a bigger bearing.”
Asked how concerned he is about his ailing regulars, Piniella didn’t soften his feelings.
“Sure I’m concerned about it, but there’s nothing you can do,” he said. “Whatever we have going into the postseason we’ll be ready to play with.”
Rough birthday: Sunday was Guillen’s 26th birthday, and it apparently was a tough one.
“He wasn’t doing very well today,” Piniella said. “I asked Freddy (Garcia, Guillen’s best friend) about him and he said Carlos wasn’t having a very good day. The medication is strong.”
Pitching decisions: Piniella cleared up at least one element of drama concerning the makeup of the pitching staff for the postseason.
Right-hander Jose Paniagua, who has experienced a rocky month, will be on the roster as the team’s second setup right-hander to Jeff Nelson.
With injuries almost guaranteeing a 10-man staff in order to get 15 position players on the roster, Piniella said he’ll choose from three pitchers for the final spot: right-handers Joel Pineiro and Ryan Franklin and left-hander John Halama.
Kirby Arnold
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