Mariners hope Daniel Vogelbach’s first homer of season gets his bat rolling

It took two weeks, but Mariners designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach hit his first home run of the season Thursday afternoon at T-Mobile Park.

Vogelbach, who slugged a team-leading 30 homers for Seattle last season, entered the day hitting just 2-for-20 without an extra-base hit.

“That’s what my job is — get on base and hit homers,” he said. “The early scuffling I really wasn’t panicking at all too much. I mean, it’s 20-something at-bats into the season. I’m walking, getting on base.

“So, just trying not to panic, just keep taking it day by day, and doing my work, and believing if I put the work in that at the end of the year everything’s going to be taken care of.”

After a slow start in summer camp, Vogelbach opened the season 0-for-7 in two games in Houston, and was out of the starting lineup for four days as he continued to work on his swing.

He’s appeared in nine of the Mariners’ 14 games, and had recorded just a pair of singles before Thursday’s homer.

“Nice to see Vogey get one,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We need to get him going. It would really help our offense getting consistent quality at-bats out of him, and seeing him pop a few balls over the fence.”

Seattle is still waiting for Vogelbach to return to his first half form from last season, when he hit .238/.375/.505 with 21 of his homers and was named Seattle’s only All-Star. He posted just a .162 average in the second half, striking out 70 times in 59 games.

Vogelbach regrouped this spring in Arizona before camps were shut down, but was slow to get his bat going when the Mariners reconvened in Seattle last month.

Despite having only 60 games this season to get his bat rolling, Vogelbach’s not rushing.

“I think you can look at it a couple different ways,” Vogelbach said. “The season’s short. It’s not 162 games, it’s not 500-600 at-bats, so you can look at it as it’s short, and it’s very rushed, or you can look at it as if you stay with the process, you keep working hard, you have a good two weeks, and you have a good year, pretty much.

“So it’s just really staying into your work, detailed. Coming in every day, and putting the time in, and knowing and trusting that you’re good, and it’s going to get hot sooner or later.”

Meanwhile, he’s continued to show patience at the plate, drawing seven walks — including five in his past three games — to six strikeouts so far.

“I always say if I’m walking I’m hitting, and I feel like I’ve been really seeing the ball well,” Vogelbach said. “I’ve been walking, not really chasing. ... If I try to just stay with my approach and see the ball and take what they give me, that’s a win for me.”

Still, it’s Vogelbach’s powerful bat the Mariners hope can catch fire this summer.

“When Vogey gets going he can be a big force in this league,” Servais said.