The first time Mike Sweeney met Zack Greinke, the kid was a 17-year-old pitcher who seemed even younger to the Kansas City Royals veteran.
“He was nave, innocent,” Sweeney said. “A great kid, but shy.”
They later became teammates in Kansas City, and Greinke had well-publicized battles with anxiety. They were serious enough that, at one point, Greinke wanted to stop pitching altogether.
“He went in to (then-manager) Buddy Bell’s office and said he wanted to quit, to start over and come back as a shortstop,” Sweeney said Sunday. “Today, Mariners fans probably wish he had.”
Greinke’s one-hitter beat Seattle, 3-0, and one of the batters he faced was former teammate Sweeney.
“I smiled a couple of times out there. There’s only one place in the world you can compete like this, and that’s on the baseball field,” Sweeney said. “My first at-bat, I hit him pretty well but the center fielder ran it down. My third at-bat, he struck me out.
“Zack’s always been a great pitcher, the difference this year is between the ears. He believes he can be this good now. I’m happy for him, he’s got his life in order on and off the field.
“I can hate him on the mound and love him off the field. We’re friends. He’s a wonderful young man who is coming into his own. I wish him well, except today.”
Injury updates
Ichiro Suzuki could play tonight after missing the last seven games with a strained left calf.
Ken Griffey Jr. (knee) and Adrian Beltre (bruised testicle) won’t play before Tuesday, but might both return to the lineup that night.
Slugger Russell Branyan will have his herniated disk injected today, after which he’ll be ordered to rest for seven days before being re-examined. “Best case scenario, I’m back in two weeks,” Branyan said. “If this doesn’t work, there’s surgery. I guess Randy Johnson has had it done twice. Hopefully, the shots work.”
Ian Snell, hit on the right wrist by a line drive Saturday, emerged remarkably unscathed and will make his regularly scheduled start on Thursday in Oakland.
Reliever Sean White, who has appeared in 52 games and pitched 64 innings, is being given a few days off with a tender right shoulder.
Short hops
Ryan Rowland-Smith lost Sunday, but pitched a career-best eight innings and struck out a career-high seven batters. He has allowed five hits or fewer in six of his nine starts this season – and gone 2-2. … Against his old team, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt was 1-for-3 on Sunday and batted .240 against the Mariners this season. … When the Mariners’ roster expands on Tuesday, don’t expect the Tacoma Rainiers to move up in mass. Mike Carp will likely join the team, but others – from Matt Tuiasosopo to Brandon Morrow and Garrett Olson – will probably be allowed to finish the AAA season, where the Rainiers are in the pennant race.
On tap
Seattle opens a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels with a 7:10 p.m. game today that will be televised on FSN. Probable starting pitchers: Joe Saunders (10-7, 5.27 ERA) for the Angels vs. Luke French (4-3, 3.92) for the Mariners.
larry.larue@thenewstribune.com
blogs.thenewstribune.com/mariners
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