News
Branyan eager to rejoin Mariners
Seattle (74-71) vs. Chicago (72-73), 7:10 p.m. PT
By Jim Street / MLB.com
09/16/09 3:00 AM ET
SEATTLE -- There is no doubt in first baseman Russell Branyan's mind that he will be back in the Mariners' lineup before the regular season ends in less than three weeks. "I am planning on being back and playing in Toronto [from Sept. 24-27]," the team's leading home run hitter said on Tuesday. "My body feels pretty good since I got the [epidural] shot. They have a schedule written out for me, but we're taking it day to day. Once I am ready to swing the bat, I think it will go pretty quick." Branyan, who has a career-high 31 home runs and 76 RBIs this season, has been sidelined since Aug. 29 with a herniated disk in his back. He has missed 16 games so far and figures to miss all six games of this homestand against the White Sox and Yankees and probably two games in Tampa Bay before the team travels to Toronto for a four-game series. The time he has spent on the disabled list has been brutal. "The worse you can do in the game of baseball is strike out four times and make three errors," he said, "but I would much rather do that than sit around the house on the disabled list." Manager Don Wakamatsu had said last week that he hoped Branyan could begin baseball-related workouts on Tuesday, but that has been pushed back. "Russell is making progress, but he's still a couple days away, at least," Wakamatsu said. "I think right now we've backed it up a little bit more to maybe Tampa Bay. We'll see how this week goes and maybe he'll be able to play then." The urge to get back is a strong one for the 33-year-old. "My goal is to get back on the field with the team," he said. "I started the season with the ballclub as a starting player and I want to finish it that way." The Mariners went into the next-to-last homestand of the season with a 7-8 record without Branyan. "It has been frustrating to have been part of this club all season and now, when we need all starting nine healthy so we can finish strong, I'm on the disabled list," he said. "We're not going to the playoffs, but we have accomplished some good things this year. "We can finish above .500 and do some pretty neat things. We've had some great times this year and for a team that lost 100 games last year, I think that says a lot for where this organization is headed." Branyan will be watching again on Wednesday night for the middle game of a three-game series against the Sox. Left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith, who has taken over for the departed Jarrod Washburn as the least-supported lefty in the rotation, has pitched well since his return from the Minor Leagues, but has received just one run during his past 30 innings of work. Pitching matchupSEA: LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (3-3, 3.88 ERA)
Rowland-Smith has turned into an innings eater since his return from the Minor Leagues. He has pitched at least seven innings in each of his past three starts, surpassing the 100-pitch mark each time and allowing three or fewer runs in each of the starts. His mound demeanor has improved to the point where he rarely shows emotion when things don't go his way. The luck of the draw has been against him this season, as he has faced American League Cy Young Award candidates Zack Greinke and Roy Halladay. CWS: RHP Gavin Floyd (11-10, 3.98 ERA)
Floyd didn't have his best stuff against the Angels on Friday, allowing five runs on five hits over five innings. His command wasn't quite there as it took him 96 pitches to get through the five innings. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 7.31 ERA in seven career appearances against the Mariners. Tidbits
Right-handed reliever Chris Jakubauskas, who has been sidelined with a knot in the back of his right shoulder, played catch on Tuesday and could pitch a simulated game in a couple of days. The best-case scenario would be to have him ready to pitch in a game situation this weekend against the Yankees. ... Miguel Batista, who left the team after the three-game series in Anaheim to deal with a personal matter, re-joined the team on Tuesday. He had a new look -- a completely shaved head. ... Ichiro spent the 2000 season in Japan, but he leads MLB in hits this decade with 2,005 -- the fourth-highest for one decade. Rogers Hornsby (2,085 in the 1920s), Pete Rose (2,045 in the 1970s) and Sam Rice (2010 in the 1930s) currently rank ahead of the Mariners right fielder. ... Felix Hernandez's 15 wins this season make him the second-youngest pitcher in franchise history to reach the 15-win mark. Dave Fleming was 17-10 as a 22-year-old in 1992. Tickets
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• Thursday: Mariners (Brandon Morrow, 1-4, 5.29) vs. White Sox (John Danks, 12-9, 3.71), 3:40 p.m. PT
• Friday: Mariners (Doug Fister, 2-2, 3.53) vs. Yankees (TBD), 7:10 p.m. PT
• Saturday: Mariners (Felix Hernandez, 15-5, 2.52) vs. Yankees (A.J. Burnett, 11-9, 4.33), 7:10 p.m. PT
Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
