Seattle
Mariners

News: Gutierrez, who partially tore his right pectoral muscle during spring training, is close to being sent out on a rehabilitation assignment.
Impact: "He ran today," Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "Initially, we thought we'd get him early tomorrow or the next day. We'll see where he is today."

News: Hernandez was tagged for five runs and 10 hits in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Angels.
Impact: Hernandez is 1-3 with a 5.92 ERA in his last four starts.

News: Hernandez allowed five runs (all earned) over six innings and was the losing pitcher Saturday against the Angels.
Impact: He gave up 10 hits while walking one and striking out seven. Hernandez, who was coming off a terrific outing in which he allowed just one run over eight innings, was pitching pretty well until the sixth inning when he allowed a grand slam to Alberto Callaspo. The loss drops his record to 4-4 on the season to go along with a 3.17 ERA, 75 strikeouts, and 22 walks.

News: League has lost his job as the Seattle Mariners closer after blowing three of his last five save opportunities. Manager Eric Wedge said Saturday that he will give league opportunities outside of the closer job. League allowed three runs in the ninth Friday as the rival Los Angeles Angels rallied for a 6-4 victory.
Impact: League, who is 0-4 with a 4.43 ERA in 21 appearances, has nine saves and four blown saves. Last season he finished third in the league with 37 saves, had a 2.79 ERA and was selected to the AL All-Star team. He blew just five save opportunities all season.

News: League will be removed from the closer's role for the time being, MLB.com's Josh Liebeskind reports.
Impact: Manager Eric Wedge's decision to take League out of the ninth inning comes on the heels of his fourth blown save of the season in Friday's game. Wedge said the Mariners will decide on the closer on a game-by-game basis based on matchups, but Tom Wilhelmsen seems to be the likely top option for the time being. League will work in non-save situations for now, but given the lack of other established relievers in the Mariners' bullpen, he should again take over the closer's job after stringing together several successful appearances.

News: Delabar has made 23 appearances this season, tied for second most in the American League, but could be limited to lefty-only work as he is struggling with right-handed batters.
Impact: Delabar kills lefties; southpaws are 2-for-32 (.063) against him this year with one double. Right-handers, though, are 12-for-48 (.250) with six home runs. Six home runs in 22 IP this season is pretty dramatic, but it stems from not having an out pitch against right-handed batters. At some point the Mariners figure to start limiting him to left-handed work.

News: Beavan gave up three runs, five hits and two walks Friday in seven innings, striking out one against the Angels.
Impact: Beavan made one mistake all evening, and Albert Pujols turned it into a three-run bomb. Other than that, Beavan was pretty much in control. Beavan has given up three runs or less in eight of nine starts this season. His strikeout rate leaves a lot to be desired, though, at 4.74/9IP, and he's given up eight homers in nine starts this season.

News: Smoak had two hits, including a two-run homer, and drove in four runs Friday.
Impact: Smoak seems to be heating up after a tough start to the season. In his last 13 games, he's hitting .308 with three homers and nine RBI.

News: League blew his fourth save of the season Friday in a particularly ugly ninth inning, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks.
Impact: The error was League's. After a single and a walk, League fielded a sac bunt and threw wide of third, allowing his first run to score. He then gave up a two-run single. League has blown two of his last three save opportunities and three of his last five. In 20.1 IP this season, League has walked 12 batters (5.31 BB/9IP).

News: Carp is in the starting lineup Friday against the Angels, the Mariners Team Website reports.
Impact: Carp will bat eighth and play left field. Although Carp is hitting only .151 on the season, he has a career .333 average (5-for-15) against Friday's starter Ervin Santana.

News: Smoak is in the starting lineup Friday against the Angels, the Mariners Team Website reports.
Impact: Smoak was given the day off Thursday, but he's back in the starting lineup Friday. Smoak is only hitting .209 this season, but he's a career .300 hitter against Friday's starter Ervin Santana.

News: Ryan is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels, according to the Mariners' official Twitter page.
Impact: Ryan's average still sits at .180, but he has heated up lately, going 9-for-27 over his last eight games. Despite the recent run, Ryan will get a day off Friday in favor of Munenori Kawasaki.

News: Ackley is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Angels, according to the Mariners' official Twitter page.
Impact: This seems like just a day off for Ackley, who has appeared in every game since May 11. With Ackley on the bench, Kyle Seager will man second base for the Mariners on Friday.

News: Figgins was never a consideration to be released, according to manager Eric Wedge, when the Mariners needed a roster spot Thursday to activate Miguel Olivo off the DL, the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: Obviously, Wedge isn't going to admit to discussions of dumping Figgins. But it's pretty clear just about the only thing keeping him on the roster is the $15 million the Mariners owe him through the 2013 season. "We'll play him when we need him," Wedge said -- he's had six plate appearances the last three weeks.

News: Olivo was activated from the 15-day disabled list by the Seattle Mariners on Thursday after missing close to a month with a strained right groin muscle.
Impact: clear a roster spot, reserve outfielder Casper Wells was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma. There was some speculation that Seattle might consider keeping Wells - Seattle's main late-game defensive replacement in the outfield - and releasing benched veteran Chone Figgins.

News: Olivo was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right groin strain.
Impact: His injury should allow for more playing time for Jesus Montero.

News: Liddi had two hits - a double and a home run - in a win over the Rangers on Wednesday.
Impact: He drove in four runs. Liddi is hitting .273 with 25 strikeouts, but has gone the last three games without a strikeout.

News: Millwood won his third straight start, defeating the Rangers on Wednesday.
Impact: After a shutout against the Rockies last weekend, he pitched six scoreless Wednesday, allowing three hits. After a slow start, Millwood has a 0.41 ERA in his last three starts.

News: Olivo is back in the Mariners' lineup Thursday, as expected, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.
Impact: Olivo returns as the catcher with Jesus Montero switching over to designated hitter. Mike Carp moves to first base for Thursday, pushing Justin Smoak to the bench, but expect there to be a decent amount of shuffling between this foursome for the foreseeable future.

News: Wells has been optioned to Triple-A, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: There was some talk that Chone Figgins would be the roster casualty for Miguel Olivo's return from the disabled list, but apparently the Mariners still haven't seen enough of him yet. Wells wasn't performing either, though, with just a .213/.302/.362 line in 25 games, and with an option remaining, the Mariners made the easy move by sending him down.

News: Olivo (groin) is expected to rejoin the Mariners on Thursday, Greg Jones of MLB.com reports.
Impact: Olivo has been on the 15-day disabled list since sustaining his groin injury April 30. It doesn't appear as though he will be playing the role of the savior for the Mariners, however, as he was hitting just .210 with three homers and seven RBI before landing on the shelf.

News: League pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts Wednesday to pick up his ninth save of the season.
Impact: League bounced back from consecutive poor outings to earn his first save since May 9. His best performance of the season likely toned down any talk that a change at closer was imminent. If he can turn around his 13:10 K:BB ratio over his next few appearances, League should silence those doubts for good.

News: Millwood pitched six shutout innings in Wednesday's victory over Texas, allowing three hits and one walk, while striking out two as he improved to 3-4 on the season.
Impact: After a second consecutive brilliant start against a former team, Millwood has tossed 17 straight scoreless innings, the second-longest streak of his career. He now holds a 3.72 ERA and 5.98 K/9IP on the season, but his next start is against this same Rangers squad, meaning fantasy owners may want to wait for further confirmation to ensure that he is indeed back.

News: Liddi lined a grand slam just over Safeco Field's left-field wall to provide the necessary run support in Wednesday's win over Texas.
Impact: Liddi finished his night 2-for-3 with a walk, raising his season splits to .273/.333/.455. He's only started 20 of 46 games this year, meaning he's unlikely to nudge out an entrenched starter any time soon. However, Liddi -- who came up as a third baseman -- has learned to play first base and made his second start in left field Wednesday, ensuring a few spot starts each week.

News: Gutierrez (chest) ran lightly Wednesday, according to the Mariners' official website.
Impact: Gutierrez also took batting practice with his teammates Tuesday and reported no issues, so he is on track to begin playing in extended spring training Monday. Gutierrez will be sent on a rehab assignment after playing a few games, so while he is progressing in the right direction, it's likely that he will remain on the DL for at least a couple more weeks.

News: Liddi will make his second start in left field for the Mariners on Wednesday and will bat second in the lineup, the Mariners' official Twitter reports.
Impact: Liddi has started at third base, first base, and in the outfield this season, demonstrating his versatility. Although he likely only qualifies at third base in most leagues at this point in the season, the strong play of Kyle Seager as the everyday third baseman may ultimately lead him to play more regularly elsewhere. In any event, Liddi will have to provide enough with the bat to ensure more playing time, as he's cooled off after a hot start to the year.

News: Jaso is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Rangers, the Mariners' official Twitter reports.
Impact: Jesus Montero will catch Kevin Millwood on Wednesday, with Mike Carp getting the start at DH. Jaso will be available in a reserve role, and is batting .250 with a homer and 10 RBI on the season.

News: Ichiro had two hits and two RBIs in Seattle's 4-1 win over the Rangers on Monday.
Impact: Ichiro, the No. 3 hitter, matched his RBI total from his previous 14 games.

News: Hernandez shut down Texas' sluggers for eight innings in Seattle's 4-1 win over the Rangers on Monday.
Impact: Hernandez allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked two in a stellar effort.

News: Olivo (groin) caught five innings in a rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma on Monday, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: Olivo won't come off the DL before he's capable of catching a full nine innings.

News: Suzuki had two hits, including a triple, and drove in two runs Monday against Texas ace and fellow countryman Yu Darvish.
Impact: Ichiro has five hits in six at-bats with a double and a triple in two games vs. Darvish this season. He now has 16 multi-hit games, sixth in the AL, but overall he's hitting only .285.

News: Hernandez bounced back from an ugly outing in his last start to pitch eight innings of one-run ball Monday, allowing six hits and two walks against the Rangers. He struck out seven in besting Texas ace Yu Darvish.
Impact: Hernandez, who didn't make it out of the fourth inning in his previous start, stifled the league's best-hitting club, taking a four-hit shutout into the eighth inning. His lone mistake came in his final frame when he left a change up over the plate and was taken deep. Hernandez recorded 11 groundouts to six air outs, throwing 110 pitches, 71 for strikes, in picking up his fourth win of the season. Vintage Felix.

News: League stumbled to the finish line yet again Sunday, allowing four hits and two runs in one inning of a non-save situation.
Impact: This comes on the heels of League blowing his third save in his previous outing. League has eight saves, but he's put runners on in six of those. He has allowed 19 hits and 10 walks in 18.1 innings this year with just 11 strikeouts. He walked 10 all season last year in 65 games. The Mariners don't appear close to replacing him just yet. First, their choices aren't great. Tom Wilhelmsen figures to be next line, but he's had his struggles too. And second, League likely will have to cough up a few more leads before manager Eric Wedge makes a move.

News: Wilhelmsen struck out one Sunday in two-thirds of an inning to post his second straight scoreless appearance after a rash of rocky outings recently.
Impact: Prior to his consecutive perfect outings, Wilhelmsen allowed eight runs (six earned), 11 hits, five walks and two homers in his previous seven appearances. Hopefully, his last couple outings mean he's back to his old self because Wilhelmsen is the likely candidate to replace closer Brandon League, who has struggled pretty much all year, if need be. Wilhelmsen figures to the get ball if it comes to that because of his strikeout ability (26 K/21.1 IP) and his mid-90s fastball. However, the Mariners have not indicated they are even close to replacing League yet, despite his troubles.

News: Montero was 1-for-3 Sunday with his sixth home run of the year to go with two RBI in the Mariners' victory over the Rockies.
Impact: Montero's numbers are suffering in May as he now has just two home runs and seven RBI in 17 games. Compared with April, when he hit four dingers with 13 RBI in 19 contests, he is not fulfilling his potential as one of the Mariners' few true run-producing threats.

News: Smoak went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBI on Sunday as the Mariners beat the Rockies.
Impact: Smoak has five multi-hit outings in his last nine games, raising his batting average from .193 to .218 as a result. Meanwhile, even though he ended a seven-game stretch with at least one strikeout, his 25.2 strikeout percentage will likely hinder his ability to raise his average much further.

News: Beavan racked up a season-high seven strikeouts to earn his second win of the season as the Mariners completed their sweep of the Rockies on Sunday.
Impact: Over five innings, Beavan yielded seven hits and one walk, giving up two runs in the process. He has now failed to pitch into the seventh inning in his last six starts which, when combined with his mediocre strikeout rate (5.31 K/9IP), stifles his value to very deep AL-only leagues.

News: Smoak is back in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies, the Mariners' official Twitter page reports.
Impact: Smoak was out of Saturday's lineup for the first time since Apr. 29 with lefty Christian Friedrich on the mound for the Rockies. The 25-year-old will be back Sunday, but he'll need to make better contact (39 strikeouts thus far) if he wants to raise his .210 batting average.

News: Montero went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the Mariners' win over the Rockies on Saturday.
Impact: Montero sat the first of the Mariners' three-game series at Coors Field, but he logged his 17th game behind the plate Saturday. Leagues that require 20 games at a position to gain eligibility are about to gain a valuable catcher.

News: Seager went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in the Mariners' win over the Rockies on Saturday.
Impact: He ended the contest with three RBI, and he now has five multi-RBI games on the month. Seager's playing time survived Mike Carp's return from the disabled list. The fact Seager has the highest OPS on the Mariners (.758 entering Saturday) likely means he will hold onto a starting role for a while.

News: Olivo (groin) will begin his rehab assignment Monday with Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners' official website reports.
Impact: Olivo will meet up with Tacoma in Iowa, where the team plans to have him catch on Monday and DH on Tuesday. He'll catch another game after Tuesday and should be ready to join the club for its four-game series next weekend against the Angels.

News: Seager had an RBI single and drove in another on a sacrifice fly in Friday's 4-0 win over Colorado.
Impact: Seager is batting .294 on the road.

News: Millwood tossed a two-hitter for his first shutout in nearly nine years and Mike Carp hit a solo homer, helping the Seattle Mariners snap a four-game skid with a 4-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night.
Impact: Millwood shuffled around the minor leagues with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox before joining the Rockies rotation last August. Millwood wound up 4-3 wearing Colorado's purple pinstripes. He once again had to prove himself this season, signing a minor league contract with Seattle. He started winless in his first six games this season, before beating the Yankees last Sunday.

News: Smoak is out of the lineup Saturday. Alex Liddi will start at first base.
Impact: Smoak has struggled this season, but his bat might be waking up. He has 11 hits in his last 33 at-bats (.333) with a home run and a double. However, he has no walks and 11 strikeouts in that span too.

News: Carp went 1-for-3 with a home run during Seattle's 4-0 win over the Rockies on Friday.
Impact: This was Carp's second game back since sitting with shoulder soreness and his first game back out in the outfield. The fact that he was able to play the field and went deep for his third home run of the season is an encouraging sign. He will need to pick it up with the bat, though, if he is going to collect regular playing time still. Getting pumped about his average increasing to .183 does not bode well for your overall fantasy season.

News: Seager went 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI against the Rockies on Friday.
Impact: Seager is now batting .278 with four home runs and 23 RBI on the season and has been quite the fantasy bonus for those who managed to snag him off the waiver wire earlier in the year. He remains a steady fixture in the Mariners lineup and his fantasy value is relatively strong.

News: Millwood pitched a two-hitter Friday with one walk and seven strikeouts against the Rockies.
Impact: You just never know where it's going to come from when Millwood is on the bump. He'll give up six runs in four innings against the Indians, but he'll shut down both the Yankees and the Rockies on the road at the next turn. His ERA now sits at 4.17 and he owns a 35:20 K:BB ratio over 49.2 innings this season. Though the game is at home, Millwood is not really a recommended starter next week against Texas.

News: Noesi allowed one run and five hits in 6 1-3 innings of Thursday's 6-5, 11-inning loss to Cleveland.
Impact: Noesi is 2-4 with a 5.61 ERA.

News: Saunders drove in two runs Thursday in a 6-5, 11-inning loss to Cleveland.
Impact: Saunders has hit safely in seven of eight games.

News: Carp will start in left field and bat seventh in the lineup Friday, the Mariners' official Twitter reports.
Impact: Carp was used as the DH on Thursday in his return from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for one game. The fact that he is back in the outfield is a sign that he should be fine, though he'll need to pick it up at the plate to maintain his everyday role.

News: Jaso will start on Friday against the Rockies and bat sixth, the Mariners' official Twitter reports.
Impact: Jaso has proven to be more reliable behind the plate than Jesus Montero, and with no designated hitter spot available, Jaso's glove wins out. Though Montero is the superior hitter, Jaso hasn't been a terrible batter by catcher's standards thus far in the season, as he carries a .259 average to go along with one homer and nine RBI.

News: Montero is not in the lineup Friday against Colorado, the Mariners' official Twitter reports.
Impact: The Mariners are playing without a designated hitter and opted for the more defensive-minded John Jaso. The Mariners are also facing a right-hander in Alex White, creating more of an incentive for the Mariners to use Jaso rather than Montero.

News: Carp (shoulder) went 0-for-2 with a walk in his return to the Seattle lineup on Thursday.
Impact: Carp struck out twice before he was replaced by Jesus Montero in the eighth inning. Carp has struggled mightily since returning from the disabled list earlier in the month, batting only .132 with an on-base percentage of .214 on the season.

News: Liddi will make his first career start in left field with Mike Carp (shoulder) handling DH duties and Jesus Montero given the day off, the Mariners' official Twitter reports.
Impact: Liddi has seen his playing time at third dwindle as Kyle Seager has begun to heat up, and moves to left field Thursday to minimize the strain on Carp's shoulder. He's shown some pop in his 61 at-bats this season, contributing two home runs and two doubles.

News: Ackley went 3 for 4 with a homer Wednesday in a 9-3 loss to the Tribe on Wednesday night.
Impact: Ackley is 15 for 45 during a 12-game hit streak.

News: Saunders had two hits Wednesday in a 9-3 loss to the Tribe on Wednesday night.
Impact: Saunders has hit safely in four straight games.

News: Hernandez had a rough outing Wednesday in a 9-3 loss to the Tribe on Wednesday night.
Impact: Hernandez gave up 10 hits and six earned runs in only 3 2-3 innings. "Felix just had an off-day," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said of the 2010 AL Cy Young winner. "He's human. I think sometimes we forget about that."

News: Olivo (groin) will likely rejoin the Mariners in Colorado this weekend to work out, and then begin a short rehab stint, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports.
Impact: If all goes well in Olivo's workouts and his subsequent rehab stint, he could potentially rejoin the Mariners next weekend.

News: Montero is not in Thursday's lineup against Cleveland, the Indians' official site reports.
Impact: Montero will take a seat Thursday, while John Jaso draws the start at catcher and Mike Carp will serve as the M's DH.

News: Carp is in Thursday's lineup against Cleveland, the Indians' official site reports.
Impact: Through 36 at-bats, Carp has just five hits, but two of those were homers and two were doubles, hinting at the power Carp can bring when he makes contact.

News: Carp is playing left field and batting eighth on Wednesday against Cleveland, MLB.com's Greg Johns reports.
Impact: Carp gets the start with right-handed Ubaldo Jimenez on the mound. He is pretty much guaranteed to be in the lineup any time the Mariners are facing a right-handed starter.

News: Saunders, hitting in the two-hole for the first time this season, had two hits Wednesday at Cleveland.
Impact: The Mariners have been searching for a productive two-hitter all season. Perhaps Saunders will do enough to keep the role. Expect him to be penciled in there Thursday.

News: Ackley had three hits Wednesday against Cleveland, including his third homer of the season, a two run-shot in the third inning.
Impact: Ackley has a hit in each of his last 12 games, but this was only his second multi-hit game in that span. The Mariners need his bat to get going, as he's been slow to produce at the plate this season.

News: Hernandez was bombed for eight runs -- six earned -- and 10 hits in 3.2 innings Wednesday against the Indians. He walked three and struck out three.
Impact: After loading the bases with no outs in the first inning on two singles and a hit batter, Hernandez watched four runs score on a passed ball, a ground out and two errors. The fourth inning was a legit beating, though, as he gave up three doubles, two singles and a wild pitch. Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don't.

News: Carp is a late scratch for undisclosed reasons Wednesday night, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: Chone Figgins will take his place in left field. Carp was dealing with a shoulder injury over the past month and spent much of the early part of the season on the disabled list, but it's unknown if this is related to his scratch.

News: Ichiro had two hits and two steals Tuesday in a 5-0 loss to the BoSox.
Impact: Ichiro went 4 for 8 in the two-game set.

News: Beavan went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks Tuesday in a 5-0 loss to the BoSox.
Impact: Beavan fell to 1-4 and failed to last past the fifth for the second straight start.

News: Beavan is a "longshot" to make his scheduled start on Sunday, but manager Eric Wedge wouldn't rule out the possibility.
Impact: Wedge said Wednesday that Beavan won't throw until Friday. Beavan had to leave his start on Monday night after getting hit in the arm by a Miguel Cabrera line drive. Wedge said Beavan could get pushed back a couple of days and either Kevin Millwood or Jason Vargas could start on regular rest on Sunday against the New York Yankees because the Mariners are off on Thursday

News: Gutierrez (chest) won't run for two weeks due to a heel injury that he's suffered while rehabbing back from his pectoral injury, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.
Impact: According to manager Eric Wedge, the best-case return for Gutierrez will put him back in the Mariners' lineup in late June.

News: Beavan (elbow) lost to the Red Sox on Tuesday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks over four innings.
Impact: Beavan did strike out four Red Sox, but he was otherwise his typical hittable self. With a 4.97 FIP and 4.58 ERA, Beavan is essentially defining replacement player at this point.

News: Liddi could see action at shortstop in the coming days, the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: Brendan Ryan could get some rest because he is struggling so badly at the plate. The problem is, backup Munenori Kawasaki is no better. So, the Mariners likely will give Liddi some time at shortstop, which he played in the minors.

News: Vargas did not get a decision Monday in a 6-1 loss to the BoSox.
Impact: Vargas had his worst start of the season, allowing five runs and seven hits in six innings. He had allowed two runs or fewer in six of his eight starts this year.

News: Ichiro had two hits Monday in a 6-1 loss to the BoSox.
Impact: Ichiro, batting third in the lineup, remained stuck on a paltry 13 RBIs.

News: Smoak had two hits Monday in a 6-1 loss to the BoSox.
Impact: Smoak is showing signs, going 8 for 16 on this M's road trip.

News: Ryan is not in the lineup for Tuesday's tilt against the Red Sox, the Mariners' official site reports.
Impact: Tuesday will mark the second time in four games Ryan has been held out of the starting lineup. With a .140/.259/.215 slash line, Ryan will need to start hitting to keep his playing time from slipping away.

News: Carp will return to the lineup Tuesday against the Red Sox, the Mariners' official site reports.
Impact: After getting a day off Monday, Carp will return to left field and hit seventh. He's hitting just .147 in 12 games since returning from the DL.

News: Seager will start at third base and hit fifth Tuesday against the Red Sox, the Mariners' official site reports.
Impact: Other than a routine day off Sunday, Seager has been a fixture in the heart of the Mariners' lineup. The 24-year-old infielder is hitting .284/..303/.474 with 21 RBI in 116 at-bats.

News: Jaso will return to the lineup Tuesday against the Red Sox, the Mariners' official site reports.
Impact: Jaso sat out the previous two games because the Mariners went up against left-handed starters. He'll continue to be a regular in the lineup against righties while Miguel Olivo is on the shelf.

News: Saunders went 1-for-3 in the loss to Boston on Monday.
Impact: Most of the damage Saunders has done this season has come against left-handed pitching, so he remains a useful daily option in those matchups as he's now 8-for-23 with three of his four homers this season against southpaws.

News: Vargas gave up five runs on seven hits over six innings in a loss to Boston on Monday night.
Impact: He struck out three and walked three while giving up a pair of homers in the outing. Vargas has another difficult matchup on tap for his next start Saturday against the Rockies at Coors Field.

News: Wells hit a two-run homer and drove in three runs in Sunday's win over the Yankees.
Impact: Wells broke a 0 for 8 slump with two hits Sunday.

News: Wells had two hits, including a two-run homer, and drove in three runs Sunday at the Yankees.
Impact: Wells, who also walked, starts a couple games a week, usually against lefties. Wells batted second in the lineup, which likely will happen again after his big game. Unfortunately, he doesn't play every day.

News: Smoak hit his fourth homer as part of a 2-for-4 game Sunday against the Yankees.
Impact: Smoak hit the homer off of Andy Pettitte, marking his first home run against a left-handed pitcher all season (and just his fifth since 2011). It's an encouraging sign, but at just .205/.254/.311 on the season, Smoak has much work left to do.

News: Millwood earned his first win of the season Sunday against the Yankees, holding New York to just three hits and one run over seven innings.
Impact: Millwood struck out six and managed to work around four walks. His control still isn't all the way there and walking batters is not an easy strategy for somebody with his stuff, but such a good start against a great hitting team like the Yankees is impressive.

News: Ackley had two hits for Seattle in a 6-2 loss to the Yanks on Saturday.
Impact: Ackley is enjoying an eight-game hit streak.

News: Carp homered and had two hits for Seattle in a 6-2 loss to the Yanks on Saturday.
Impact: Carp drove in two runs to bring his RBI total to five.

News: Facing his former team, Noesi took the defeat for Seattle in a 6-2 loss to the Yanks on Saturday. Noesi lasted seven innings, allowing five runs and six hits. He struck out four without a walk, but the second inning was enough to cost him, though he allowed just two hits in his last five innings.
Impact: Noesi was traded to Seattle in January along with Jesus Montero for pitchers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. Pineda has since been lost for the season due to injury.

News: Liddi is in the starting lineup at third base Sunday against the Yankees, Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.
Impact: Liddi has been useful so far this season, with a .275/.327/.412 line and two home runs. He's likely going to have to show more power to remain useful, though -- he has 16 strikeouts in 15 games and that doesn't bode well for him maintaining an average as high as .275.

News: Seager is out of the lineup Sunday against the Yankees, Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.
Impact: Alex Liddi will get the start at third for the Mariners. Seager has played 10 consecutive games for the Mariners, so this just seems like normal rest.

News: Ryan, whom manager Eric Wedge had heretofore expressed confidence, was benched Saturday because Wedge thought he looked unable "to defend himself" at the plate, the Seattle Times reports.
Impact: Wedge said just last week that Ryan was valuable because of his glove even if he didn't hit. Perhaps his patience has worn thin after Ryan struck out with the bases loaded Friday. "He's not 25 years old. He's 30 years old," Wedge added. "It's time for him to figure out what he needs to do to be successful. I can't be any more honest than that." The benching is likely a one-game affair, as Ryan's fielding is still elite. That said, he needs to hit -- .149/.267/.230 doesn't cut it, no matter how slick the fielding.

News: Smoak had three hits Friday in a 6-2 loss to the New York Yankees.
Impact: Smoak was 3 for 30 in the first nine games this month.

News: Hernandez (3-2) allowed 11 hits - two short of his career high - and four runs in 6 2-3 innings of Friday's 6-2 loss to the Yankees.
Impact: It was his second-shortest outing this season. He struck out seven and walked two, with his ERA rising from 1.89 to 2.29.

News: The Seattle Mariners are pushing back Beavan's next start by two days until Tuesday at Boston.
Impact: Beavan was hit on the right arm Monday night by a line drive off the bat of Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, forcing him out of the game. Manager Eric Wedge said Friday that Kevin Millwood will start Sunday's series finale at the New York Yankees and Jason Vargas will start the opener at Fenway Park.

News: Vargas pitched eight strong innings and the Mariners beat the Tigers 2-1 on Wednesday.
Impact: Vargas has allowed one run in each of his last two starts.