Wedge isn’t afraid to load his lineup with rookies

Manager Eric Wedge is rolling out his “veteran” lineup tonight against the Blue Jays – with only five rookies (second baseman Dustin Ackley, first baseman Mike Carp, DH Casper Wells, left fielder Trayvon Robinson and third baseman Kyle Seager).

Last night, the Mariners playe

d eight rookies in their victory over the Jays. They started six – Ackley, Carp, Wells, Robinson, Seager and pitcher Michael Pineda — and also used rookie relievers Dan Cortes and Tom Wilhelmsen.

Wedge, who incredibly has used 112 different lineups in 120 games this season, didn’t seem all that impressed when asked if he’d played more than eight rookies.

“I think I started 10 (when he managed the Indians),” he said. “But that doesn’t come into play with me. I’m putting out there what I feel I need to put out there, for multiple reasons right now.”

The main reason is to evaluate talent as they Mariners learn who can and can’t play at this level.

Last night’s eight-rookie total was the first time since the Mariners’ first season in 1977 they’d played that many in a game. Their record (not counting games with September callups) is nine in on Aug. 27, 1977, against the Indians.

A few other notes today:

• Reliever Tom Wilhelmsen is a fairly simple guy (he often rides a bike instead of driving a car), so when asked what he did with the game ball after his first major league victory Monday night, we didn’t expect his answer to be anything grandiose. It wasn’t.

“I put it on the counter,” he said.

• We’ve gotten a few questions – via Twitter (@kirbyarnold) and elsewhere – asking when the Mariners will get their player to be named later in the Aug. 30 trade with the Tigers that brought Casper Wells and Charlie Furbush in exchange for Doug Fister and David Pauley. We’re hearing it will be announced soon. Chance Ruffin, the Tigers’ first-round draft pick last year (48th overall), is the player most often mentioned as the guy who’ll come to the Mariners. He’s 3-3 with a 2.03 ERA in 48 2/3 innings of relief with the Tigers’ Class AA and AAA teams this year.

• A couple of strong-looking young men toured the Marines’ clubhouse and watched batting practice this afternoon. They were outfielder Jose Leal and right-handed pitcher Victor Sanchez, recent international signees from Venezuela. The Mariners haven’t said where they will play.

• Brandon League has saved each of the Mariners’ past three games. That was last done by a Mariner when David Aardsma saved three straight Aug. 8-10 last year. We’re wouldn’t expect League to be available tonight but, just in case, he could set a record. No Mariner has ever recorded a save in four straight games.