Seager (wrist) scratched, misses 3rd straight
HOUSTON -- Third baseman Kyle Seager was scratched from the Mariners' lineup about two hours before Friday night's series opener with the Astros as he continues dealing with a sore right wrist.
After missing the prior two games against the Brewers, the 31-year-old had hoped to play in Houston, but he was pulled from the lineup after the wrist continued bothering him while trying to take swings in the batting cage.
Seager missed the first two months of the season with a torn tendon in his left hand and has a .233/.328/.405 line with five homers and 15 RBIs in 30 games, while helping solidify the Mariners' infield defense.
Manager Scott Servais said Seager hurt the wrist during Tuesday's 8-3 win in Milwaukee, but he stayed in the game and went 2-for-4.
"He just felt it on a swing but went out after that and got a double his next at-bat," Servais said. "It was just sore the next day. So we've given him some time off and some anti-inflammatories."
Haniger taking things slowly
Outfielder Mitch Haniger is with the Mariners on their road trip and did some pregame work on Thursday, but he took things easy on Friday after arriving in Houston as he recovers from surgery on a ruptured testicle two weeks ago.
"In Milwaukee, I hit in the cage and did some running," he said. "But there's usually a day I come in and say, 'Oh man, I'm pretty sore,' so I don't do anything for a day and try to get back to where I'm at. It's just a whole lot of that going on right now, just trying to listen to my body, but do as much as I can at the same time."
Haniger hopes to return prior to the All-Star break in 10 days, but acknowledges that might not happen.
"The final hurdles will be diving and stuff like that," he said. "I don't know when I'm going to be able to do those things. I know today there is zero percent chance I'm comfortable diving. In five days or a week or 10 days, I'm hopeful I'll be comfortable, but I really have no idea."
Worth noting
• Former Mariner All-Star Mike Cameron, in his first season as an adviser to the club, was at Minute Maid Park working with center fielder Mallex Smith and outfield coach Chris Prieto prior to Friday's game. Cameron will spend the weekend with the Mariners while they're near his home in Georgia.
"Mike is great," Servais said. "I didn't really know him that well, but I certainly knew of him and the career he had and how he went about his business. He has a great reputation in the game, so I'm glad to have him around our young players. He's certainly someone they can all learn from."
• Lefty reliever Jesse Biddle was claimed off waivers by the Rangers on Friday after being designated for assignment on Sunday. The 27-year-old posted a 9.82 ERA in 11 innings over 11 games for the Mariners after being acquired from the Braves on May 20 along with injured reliever Arodys Vizcaino in exchange for reliever Anthony Swarzak.
• Reliever Sam Tuivailala threw a scoreless inning for Class A Short-Season Everett on Thursday, needing just seven pitches and getting one strikeout in a much-better showing in his second rehab outing. He is working back from Achilles tendon surgery and, more recently, a sore throwing arm.
• Reports on closer Hunter Strickland were very good after the veteran right-hander played catch on Friday at T-Mobile Park. He is beginning to ramp up his throwing program after dealing with a fluid buildup in the area of his strained right oblique.
• Felix Hernandez also played catch Friday as he continues his return from a right shoulder strain, though Servais didn't have any word yet on how that session went.