Opponent: Anaheim Angels
When: 7:05 p.m. today and Wednesday
Where: Edison International Field in Anaheim, Calif.
TV: None today, Fox Sports Net (cable) Wednesday
Radio: KIRO (710 AM) both games
Pitchers: Today – Seattle right-hander Paul Abbott (16-4, 4.27 earned run average) vs. left-hander Jarrod Washburn (11-9, 3.57)
Health report: Before the Mariners worked out at Safeco Field on Monday, manager Lou Piniella joked that there may be more players in the training room than the batting cage.
Judging by the smile he barely cracked, it wasn’t such a funny joke.
Shortstop Carlos Guillen remained in a Seattle hospital with tuberculosis, third baseman David Bell wasn’t ready to swing a bat because of a rib cage injury, Mark McLemore is uncertain for tonight’s game because of a sore knee and outfielder Al Martin is limited to hitting because of an elbow injury.
Guillen’s illness, obviously, was the main concern.
He wasn’t allowed to take phone calls on Monday because doctors wanted him to get plenty of uninterrupted rest. Team doctors say Guillen, whose illness was diagnosed Friday, may be able to return to the Mariners after a week of rest and antibiotics but Piniella isn’t so sure.
“He’s doing better,” Piniella said. “But we’ll just wait until we get home and then we’ll find out.”
McLemore, who hasn’t played since last Wednesday at Texas, may be in the lineup tonight.
“But if he’s not 100 percent, then we won’t play him,” Piniella said.
Bell fielded ground balls at Monday’s workout but may not take a full round of batting practice until later this week because of a strained muscle in his left rib cage.
“He’s been getting his treatments and he’s seen some improvement,” Piniella said. “But I don’t think he’ll be ready until at least this weekend.”
Rotation set, sort of: It’s been clear for some time that Freddy Garcia, Jamie Moyer and Aaron Sele will pitch the first three games of the first-round playoff series next week.
Where No. 4 starter Paul Abbott fits in may be determined by who the Mariners face and the complexion of the series if there’s a fourth game.
If the Mariners face Cleveland, Piniella could pitch Abbott, who is 5-0 with a 3.25 ERA in his career against the Indians, in Game 4 and save Garcia if there’s a deciding Game 5. Or he could pitch Garcia on his usual four days rest in Game 4 and use Abbott in Game 5.
Abbott will make his final regular-season start tonight, then get some work out of the bullpen this weekend against Texas.
If the Mariners face the Yankees, Piniella has reopened the door to bringing back one of his starters – probably Jamie Moyer – on three days rest for the fifth game. The Yankees’ lineup features an abundance of left-handed hitters, and Piniella has said the Mariners might have won the ALCS over New York last year had Moyer not been hurt.
Kirby Arnold
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