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Inbox: Will Chavez return in 2010?

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By Jim Street / MLB.com

08/20/09 8:10 AM ET

The dog days of summer will soon turn into some hot pennant races in the Major Leagues and the Mariners have not yet abandoned their flickering hopes of staying involved in the AL Wild Card race. With about six weeks remaining in the regular season a lot can happen -- good and/or bad. But we're here to answer any questions you might have going forward.

With the up-and-coming Michael Saunders being called the Mariners' left fielder of the future and Bryan LaHair and Jerry Owens lighting up Triple-A, what does the future hold for Endy Chavez?
-- Brennan M., Port Townsend, Wash.

Chavez suffered a severe knee injury in a collision with former Mariners shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt on June 19 at Safeco Field, and his promising first season with Seattle came to a screeching halt.

Chavez was in the final year of a two-year, $3.85 million contract and becomes eligible for free agency at the end of this season. Though his salary was guaranteed, the injury cost Chavez from cashing in on some incentive bonuses -- such as $50,000 for 100 games, $75,000 each for 110, 120, 130 games, $25,000 each for 325, 350, 375, and 400 plate appearances.

He played in 54 games and had 168 plate appearances.

Let's hope he has 100-percent recovery from the injury, which tore his ACL and MCL, and he can come back with the same speed he had before the injury. If not, he might have a tough time finding a Major League club willing to sign him as a free agent.

How is Chad Cordero doing on his rehab?
-- Enrique R., Brownstown, Mich.

Good enough that he has joined Class A Everett, making him the senior citizen of the Northwest League. The Mariners signed the former National League All-Star reliever to a one-year contract during Spring Training with the idea that he might be ready to pitch at the big league level in August or September, but that's iffy at best.

There's a kid who played for the Venezuelan Summer League that went 11-1 and had a 0.51 ERA in 88 innings pitched. Can you tell us something about this kid and whether or not the Mariners can expect him to continue in their system?
-- Bethany P., Portland, Ore.

The pitcher you are asking about is Erasmo Ramirez, recently selected as the Venezuelan Summer League Most Valuable Player. Besides his sparkling record and ERA, he held opposing hitters to a .174 batting average, struck out 80 and walked five.

A non-drafted player signed last year, Ramirez had a 4-1 record and 2.80 ERA in his first VSL season. After two professional seasons, he now has a composite 1.49 ERA with 14 walks and 126 strikeouts. The next stop for the 19-year-old is the Arizona Instructional League, which begins in late September in Peoria.

What is the difference between a wild pitch and a passed ball?
-- Dave G., Post Falls, Idaho

The official scorer usually rules that any pitch that he determines "uncatchable" and gets past the catcher, allowing any runner(s) on base to advance, is a wild pitch. If the official scorer determines that the pitch was misplayed by the catcher and the runner(s) advance, then it is a passed ball.

If a wild pitch figures in the scoring of a run, it is an earned run, whereas a passed ball is regarded the same as an error in determining earned runs.

Have a question about the Mariners? E-mail your query to MLB.com Mariners beat reporter Jim Street for possible inclusion in a future Inbox column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content. First Name, Last Initial: Hometown: Email Address: Question:

I've noticed that when Ichiro is on base, he wore his batting glove. Recently, he takes them off and holds them in his hands. I've always wondered why baserunners hold their batting glove rather than just wearing them or putting them away. Is there an advantage to holding your batting glove in your hand while on base?
-- Wei C., Vancouver, Wash.

The primary reason for holding a batting glove in your hand(s) is to prevent you from jamming your fingers when sliding into a base headfirst. I can't recall seeing Ichiro go into any base headfirst, but I know several players who use that technique in stealing bases and I think holding the glove to make a fist is a wise thing to do -- regardless of the type of slide used.

I've been wondering if there is a specific reason that Rob Johnson has been getting more playing time than Kenji Johjima. I've always liked Kenji's work ethic and the way he approaches the game. It seems kind of unfair that he hasn't really been given any opportunity to play consistently for the team this year.
-- Yad T., Seattle

As of Tuesday, Kenji had started 44 games at catcher and Johnson had started 60. When you take into account that Johjima was on the 15-day disabled list from April 16-May 1 (missing 13 games) and again from May 26-June 25 (missing 26 games), I would think he has had more than his fair share of playing time when healthy.

When will we get our first look at Phillippe Aumont in the Majors? Will it be toward the end of this year or will we have to wait until next summer?
-- Jason B., Valley City, N.D.

That's a tough one to answer, but I doubt that you will see him in a Mariners uniform this season. He has split the season between Class A High Desert (29 appearances) and Double-A West Tennessee 13 appearances, registering 16 saves overall.

As you may know, the Mariners decided to make Aumont a reliever soon after he was used in a relief role for Team Canada during the World Baseball Classic. He has the stuff to someday become a quality big league closer.

What song is played at Safeco Field when the Mariners hit a home run?
-- Nathan C., Seattle

It's called "Shout" by Otis Day and the Knights. It's the version from Animal House.

Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.