MARINERS NOTEBOOK: Messenger arrives to team after family scare

LARRY LARUE - MCCLATCHY

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Randy Messenger joined the Seattle Mariners on Monday, about three weeks after he was invited.

The 27-year-old right-hander was first asked to move from the Tacoma Rainiers� bullpen to the Mariners� back in late July, but much as he wanted to return to the big leagues he had more important things going on in his life.

�My wife was having our first child, and then there were some complications, both for her and our daughter,� Messenger said. �So I told them I couldn�t come up.�

Signed by Seattle in July, after he�d asked for and been granted his release by San Francisco, Messenger made the most of 12 appearances with Tacoma � going 6-0 with a save and a 2.36 earned run average.

Three weeks ago, on Aug. 1, Messenger and his wife welcomed daughter Francesca Alana. Meanwhile, reliever Jake Woods joined the Mariners.

On Monday, the Mariners optioned bruised right-hander Mark Lowe to Tacoma, and Messenger got a second chance to join the Seattle bullpen. This time, there was no reason not to.

�It�s been an up-and-down ride all year, but it�s been a good roller coaster ride,� he said.

Messenger is 6-foot-6, 246 pounds, and when former Rainiers teammate Wood was asked what he threw, �Hard� was the answer from a laughing Woods.

Lowe was sent to Tacoma because the Mariners think he�ll be ready to pitch in a week or so, and didn�t need to miss the 15 days he�d be idle if placed on the disabled list with a bruised left foot.

Lowe, who was hit on that foot Saturday by a Frank Thomas line drive, was limping Monday.

�We think he could pitch again by Saturday or Sunday,� manager Jim Riggleman said. �Then, when rosters expand Sept. 1, we can get him back.�

In the meantime, Messenger will work middle and long relief.

�With the Giants, I asked for my release. I didn�t see a fit there, it wasn�t working,� Messenger said. �This organization gave me an opportunity to pitch and get to the big leagues, which is all I wanted.�

A year ago, pitching first for Florida, then San Francisco, Messenger was 2-4 with a 4.20 ERA. In his major league career, he�s gone 4-11 with a 5.01 ERA in 148 appearances.

Guardado returns

In the visiting clubhouse, the Minnesota Twins welcomed former Mariners closer Eddie Guardado, obtained in a Monday trade with the Texas Rangers.

The Rangers gave up a 21-year-old Class-A reliever, and the Twins got a veteran left-hander whose career began in Minnesota before he went to Seattle as a free agent.

Fifth on the Mariners� all-time save list with 59, Guardado taught his successor � J.J. Putz � the fine points of closing a game. Putz also credits Guardado with furthering his penchant for practical jokes.

Once the lessons were over, Putz was unstoppable. One of his first pranks was sneaking into Guardado�s hotel room, stealing all his underwear, then hanging shorts from all the door knobs on Guardado�s hotel floor.

Short hops

Go figure: The Mariners lead the American League in batting average for the first three spots in the batting order. At leadoff, they�re batting .314, .296 in the No. 2 slot and .304 in the third spot. Combined, those three are at .305 � nine points up on the Texas Rangers, who have the second-highest average. � Catcher Jeff Clement is expected back in the lineup tonight after resting an ailing knee. He�s batting .350 in August.