Beckham off to torrid start for Mariners

SEATTLE -- When the Mariners signed shortstop Tim Beckham to a one-year, free-agent deal this winter to help bridge the gap to some of their new young prospects, they couldn’t have imagined the 29-year-old would help anchor a red-hot lineup out of the gates.

But Beckham hit .435 (10-for-23) with two doubles, three homers and six RBIs in Seattle’s first six games, and was named the American League Player of the Week presented by W.B. Mason on Monday, a sterling start for the six-year Major League veteran.

“It’s been fun,” Beckham said. “I’m not the only who is playing good ball around here. The whole team is playing really good. I’m sure you could have given the award to two or three other guys in here. I think we should get the Team of the Week. I think that’s more important than me getting Player of the Week, how we’re jelling as a ballclub. Our team camaraderie around the locker room goes a long way.”

Beckham hit .230 with 12 homers and 35 RBIs in 96 games for Baltimore last year and signed a $1.75 million deal with Seattle, which has targeted newly-acquired J.P. Crawford as the long-term shortstop.

But Crawford will open the year in Triple-A Tacoma and Beckham is serving notice that he’s not going to be easy to move out of that spot if he continues playing well.

The former No. 1 overall Draft pick of the Rays isn’t worrying about that, however.

“It’s early in the year,” Beckham said. “We got a good start to the season and we want to keep it going. You don’t want to peak early, you want to keep playing good baseball, winning baseball, and come out every night to try to do something to help the team win.”

Beckham had hits in each of Seattle’s first six games and became just the sixth player in franchise history with three homers or more in the first three games of a season, joining Gorman Thomas (1985), Ken Griffey Jr. (1997), David Segui (1998), Mike Morse (2013) and Robinson Canó (2016).

“Tim is off to a great start,” said manager Scott Servais. “His consistency of at-bats has been there, he’s using the whole field to hit, hitting with power. It’s been fun to watch. Certainly teams will start paying a little closer attention to him as we go forward, but he’s seeing the ball really, really well.”

Servais has been just as pleased with Beckham’s progress on defense, where he has been working hard under the tutelage of new infield coach Perry Hill since the start of Spring Training.

“That’s huge for me,” Beckham said. “I know I’m going to hit. I just want to keep working on my defense every day. I think it’s more important for me that I continue to do well on defense. I’d rather have a better year on defense than offense right now.”

Swarzak expected back Tuesday

While the Mariners have been dealing with injury issues in their relief crew, help is on the way with veteran right-hander Anthony Swarzak available to come off the 10-day injury list on Tuesday after missing most of Spring Training with a lingering issue in his right shoulder.

The 33-year-old had a big year in 2017 when he posted a 2.33 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 77 1/3 innings for the White Sox and Brewers, but was 0-2 with a 6.15 ERA in 29 outings for the Mets last year while dealing with a strained left oblique early in the season, and then the shoulder inflammation at the end of the year.

The Mariners let him finish recovering from that shoulder impingement at the start of camp, but he returned to pitch in four Minor League games while the team was in Japan and is believed ready now after throwing a bullpen session on Sunday in Seattle.

“I’m excited to face Major League hitters and see where I’m at,” said Swarzak, one of five players acquired from the Mets in the Cano/Edwin Diaz trade. “It was a weird spring, an interesting situation with the Japan trip and everything. But you have to roll with the punches and find a way.

“I keep telling myself, come mid-May or June, nobody is going to care what day in April that I started the season. I’m just trying to get my work in, stay healthy and get some results out there.”

Fellow right-hander Shawn Armstrong is also close to returning from a strained left oblique that landed him on the IL when the team got to Tokyo. He had no issues in a bullpen session on Sunday and will throw again Tuesday, then likely face a Minor League rehab outing before being ready possibly by the weekend if all goes well.

The club also acquired right-hander Connor Sadzeck from the Rangers on Monday and he’ll likely join the team Thursday in Chicago when the Mariners open a seven-game road trip.