OAKLAND — With Seattle right fielder Mitch Haniger still ailing after being hit in the right wrist by a pitch on Tuesday night, the Mariners called up outfielder John Andreoli to make his Major League debut in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the A’s.
Andreoli, 27, started in right field and batted eighth against the A’s, collecting his first career hit with a fifth-inning single.
OAKLAND — With Seattle right fielder Mitch Haniger still ailing after being hit in the right wrist by a pitch on Tuesday night, the Mariners called up outfielder John Andreoli to make his Major League debut in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the A’s.
Andreoli, 27, started in right field and batted eighth against the A’s, collecting his first career hit with a fifth-inning single.
“It was unbelievable,” said Andreoli, who signed a Minor League deal with the Mariners in January. “It was so much fun, everything you could have dreamed of.”
Filling in for Haniger, Andreoli made an impressive sliding grab to rob A’s catcher Jonathan Lucroy of a hit in the eighth.
“I thought I had a good jump off the bat,” Andreoli said. “With the righty, he kind of stayed through, so [the ball is] going to fade back a little bit toward me, so I knew it was probably my ball. Thought I had a good bead on it. Just went after it and made the catch.”
Video: [email protected]: Andreoli sprints, lunges for a great catch
Andreoli batted .294 with three home runs, seven doubles and 20 RBIs in 32 games with Triple-A Tacoma this season. To make room for Andreoli, the Mariners optioned right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla to Tacoma.
Manager Scott Servais has been scrambling to fill a healthy team for more than a week. Designated hitter Nelson Cruz was back in the lineup after missing four of the previous six games with elbow and foot injuries. Shortstop Jean Segura was also in the leadoff spot after jamming his left shoulder sliding into home plate for the go-ahead run in Tuesday’s 10-inning victory.
Haniger wore a thick ice bandage around his right wrist in the Mariners’ clubhouse Wednesday. Seattle’s leader in home runs (11) and RBIs (36), Haniger did some hitting before the game and is doing better than originally thought, according to Servais.
“[Haniger] feels a little bit better than maybe expected,” Servais said. “We’ll try to give him a day today, maybe tomorrow, wait and see how he’s feeling and progressing. Certainly could have been a lot worse. Probably got a little fortunate on that one.”
Video: [email protected]: Haniger gets hit on the wrist, later exits
Segura in good shape
Segura appeared fine a day after hurting his left shoulder while sliding into the leg of A’s catcher Jonathan Lucroy in the 10th inning, a contrast from a night earlier when the Seattle shortstop was laying on the dirt behind home plate for several moments while being attended to by a team trainer.
The play was spotlighted not only because Segura scored the go-ahead run, but because of the positioning of Lucroy, who was essentially blocking the plate without the ball. Segura was openly critical of Lucroy after the game, and the Oakland catcher acknowledged he might have been in the way.
It also raised questions about players sliding headfirst into home plate, something Servais said he would rather his team not do. At the same time, Servais has no plans to ask Segura to change his tactics.
Video: [email protected]: Heredia belts a go-ahead RBI double in 10th
“It’s one of those instinctive plays,” Servais said. “Some guys are going to go headfirst. You certainly don’t like to see it at home plate. But the baserunning read, the secondary lead, the jump off the bag, [Segura] really can run. We’ve seen him move before. I don’t want to take any of his aggressiveness away.
“In a perfect world, would you teach it that way? No. I’d like the guys to go in feet first to home plate. But I’m not going to say anything about it.”
Michael Wagaman is a contributor to MLB.com based in the Bay Area.
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