The soft-hitting Mariners got some 11th-hour news that won’t help their lineup for Thursday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants. About an hour before first pitch, the club said 2B Robinson Cano (lower back stiffness) and 3B Kyle Seager (possible food poisoning) were being scratched.
Not only was the lineup altered, the American League’s longest streak of games played appears to have ended.
Seager has played in 192 consecutive games, with 191 starts, which will end if he doesn’t play at all Thursday.
The scratches opened the door for converted OF Dustin Ackley to get his first start at second base since Sept. 21, 2013, and for Willie Bloomquist to take over at third. Assuming that neither Cano nor Seager is available, the Mariners would have just two position players – recently recalled OF James Jones and backup C Jesus Sucre – at their disposal from the bench.
No further information was given on the status of Cano and/or Seager for the Houston series that begins Friday night.