Haniger won't take batting practice or play in Cactus League games for next few days. Vogelbach will get more tests on the swollen foot.
PEORIA, Ariz. — Two days into Cactus League play and the Mariners’ list of players dealing with injuries has increased by two.
Outfielder Mitch Haniger has some discomfort in his right hand and won’t play in the first week of Cactus League games.
“Mitch has a little bit of hand soreness,” manager Scott Servais said. “It’s not a big deal but we probably will be a little cautious. You might not see him in there for four or five days.”
Admittedly, the offseason hand soreness for Ryon Healy that eventually led to surgery made the Mariners wary with Haniger.
“It’s nothing serious,” Servais said. “But with the Healy thing, it’s probably me as much as anybody saying, “take it easy, take it slow.”
Haniger didn’t seem too concerned.
“It’s a little tender so we are slowing it down,” he said. “We are having a patient approach so nothing gets worse. I’m not really too worried about it. I don’t think it’s going to be a big deal. We are just being very cautious.”
He will still do some cage work, tracking pitches and also taking bottom hand swings with his left hand.
“I took batting practice every day leading up to yesterday and I feel like 95 percent,” he said. “They said to just back it off and then we’ll be good to go in a couple of days. Nothing too crazy. I changed my grip a little bit trying to help my swing out and I’m sure it had to do with that causing a little inflammation.”
Haniger said he felt some discomfort about a month ago, but it wasn’t consistent pain. He’d have a week where he’d feel nothing in the hand and then a week where it would be there.
“It was kind of back and forth,” he said. “Every time it would flare up on me, the next couple days or next week it would feel great. I was like, ‘just push through, it will be fine.’ And when I got down here, I asked what is some of the treatment stuff I can do to get it to go away and we’ve been doing stuff.”
Haniger will still participate in outfield and baserunning work, but he won’t throw to protect the hand.
While Haniger rests his hand and does other things on the field, it looks as thought first baseman Daniel Vogelbach won’t be doing much for the coming days. Vogelbach appeared from the Mariners’ training room on Saturday morning with a large walking boot on his right foot and using one crutch to hobble down the hallway. He was leaving the complex to have a MRI on his foot.
How did it happen?
“I got hit with a pitch in my first at-bat and it just blew up over night,” he said.
Indeed, Vogelbach took a fastball off the foot from Padres pitcher Brett Kennedy. He was in obvious pain but remained in the game as the designated hitter. He even hit a double in the sixth inning.
Also …
Healy could be back on the field doing defensive drills in five or six days.
Servais said that reports from Felix Hernandez’s live batting practice were positive and that he looked good in the session. Hernandez will start on Monday in Mesa against the Cubs.