Mariners reliever Rafael Soriano, who was struck by a line drive in the eighth inning of Tuesday's game against the Angels, was released from Harborview Medical Center on Wednesday afternoon.

Soriano was kept in the hospital overnight for observation and a pair of CT scans, among other tests.

Mariners team physician Dr. Edward Khalfayan said both CT scans "looked good and we are not concerned at this time that he has a brain injury other than a concussion... We expect him to recover from this injury with no long term residual effects."

Soriano will be monitored by the Mariners medical staff over the next 10-14 days, and will be re-checked by a neuro-surgeon in approximately two weeks.

No timetable has been established for Soriano's return to competition.

Mariners pitcher Rafael Soriano, who was hit above the right ear with a line drive on Tuesday night, continues to improve and could be released from Harborview Medical Center as soon as today.

Sorino was examined earlier today by a neuro-surgeon Dr. Rich Ellenbogen and will undergo more tests this afternoon to check his balance and ability to walk. If those tests are positive, Soriano could be released soon thereafter.

Soriano will continue to be treated for a concussion and will be re-examined by the neuro-surgeon in approximately two weeks.

One of the scariest things in sports happened Tuesday night. A line drive off the bat of Angels' outfielder Vladimir Guerrero hit Mariners pitcher Rafael Soriano in the head just above his right ear.

Soriano was down for about 10 minutes and was taken to a Seattle-area hospital. Initial tests revealed no fractures and the results of a CAT scan and X-ray were reassuring, said Mariners team physician, Edward Khalfayan.

I went into a very somber Mariners locker room after the game, won by the Mariners, 6-4. Here is some reaction to the incident:

Dr. Khalfayan

Mariners pitcher Jarrod Washburn

Mariners pitcher J.J. Putz

Mariners outfielder Chris Snelling

The Mariners announced reliever Jon Huber will be recalled from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Julio Mateo on the 25-man roster.

Huber, 25, began the year at Double-A San Antonio and went 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA and 11 saves. With the Rainiers, the right-hander went 3-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 12 saves. It is his first appearance in the majors.

Huber was a fifth-round draft pick by the San Diego Padres in 2000. He joined the Mariners when Seattle traded infielder Dave Hansen to the Padres on July 30, 2004.

Mariners reliever Julio Mateo dropped a weight on his left hand Monday afternoon, breaking the fourth metacarpal. Manager Mike Hargrove said Mateo is probably lost for the season.

Mateo was not with the team during batting practice. Trainier Rick Griffin said at about 3 p.m. Mateo was attempting to put a dumbbell back on a rack but slipped and hit his hand. Griffin said Mateo will be in a splint until Friday when he'll have the hand placed in a permanent cast.

Mateo, who had not given up a run in his last seven appearances, is a valuable middle reliever who leads the majors with nine wins in relief. His spot on the roster will be filled by a Rainier, although Hargrove said he did not know who just yet.

The Seattle Mariners recalled infielder-outfielder Mike Morse from Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday. To make room on the 25-man roster, the club has optioned outfielder T.J. Bohn to Tacoma.

"Mike gives us some more flexibility," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "He was eligible to return today, so we made the move. I thought TJ did a nice job, but having Mike here gives us a few more
options on how we use our bench."

Morse, 24, has hit .409 (9x22) in nine games with the Mariners this season, with four doubles and eight RBI. In a combined three stints in Tacoma, Morse is a .248 (51x206) hitter with 15 doubles, one triple, five home runs and 34 RBI. He missed nearly the entire month of July (July 3-July 31) on the Rainiers disabled list with a torn meniscus in his left knee.

Bohn was 1-for-7 (.143) in five games with the Mariners, collecting his first Major League hit last night, a single off Boston's David Wells.

Jon Lester, the former Bellarmine Prep star now with the Boston Red Sox, has been scratched from his Tuesday start and sent back to Boston to have his sore back examined.

Lester was involved in a minor car accident on Aug. 18 before his scheduled start against the New York Yankees. Since then, he's been bothered by a sore back. He had an initial examination in Seattle but team officials decided to send him home on Sunday rather than wait and se if there was improvement before his scheduled start against Oakland.

In his rookie season, Lester is 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA.

1. N.Y. Mets (3) – Swept Cardinals, got good news on Tom Glavine, moved to top of rankings… What a good week.
2. Detroit (1) – Once rock-solid rotation is beginning to show some cracks.
3. N.Y. Yankees (4) – The Big Unit still has the name but not the game anymore.
4. Oakland (5) – Could become just the third team in history to win 90 games and be outscored by their opponents.
5. Chicago White Sox (2) – Add Jermaine Dye to the list of MVP candidates.
6. Minnesota (8) – Lineup is mmm mmm good with Joe Mauer and Jason Morneau.
7. Boston (6) – Who’s their daddy? Yankees, of course.
8. Los Angeles Angels (10) – Scouting report on rookie pitcher Jered Weaver: Good slider, funky motion, bad hairdo.
9. Cincinnati (12) – Because of sore arm Eddie Guardado is now Every-other-day Eddie.
10. San Diego (16) – Dodgers get no mercy: Padres improve to 11-3 after sweep.
11. Los Angeles Dodgers (7) – Just when you thought the NL West was all but locked up, the Dodgers slip in San Diego.
12. Texas (13) – Carlos Lee says he wouldn’t mind staying; does he know he can’t hit off his own pitchers?
13. St. Louis (11) – They can’t blame Shea Hillenbrand on their sinking ship.
14. Philadelphia (15) – Pat Gillick, Arthur Rhodes and now Jamie Moyer – Pulling for Phils feels awfully familiar.
15. Toronto (9) – FYI: When they refer to punchouts and Ted Lilly, it’s not just about striking out someone.
16. San Francisco (18) – Team lobbying to call of rest of season so they can watch “Matlock” reruns.
17. Milwaukee (19) – All their late surge is doing is messing up their draft position for next year.
18. Arizona (14) – Yes, it is true. There is no (Shawn) Green in the desert.
19. Florida (21) – With all those hurricanes, it’s no wonder they’ve got this rebuilding thing down.
20. Houston (20) – Roger Clemens is not going to get a fairy tale ending but will get a nice big fat check this season.
21. Cleveland (22) – With seven veterans traded and 10 rookies on the roster, this is the most turnover since the last Browns’ home game.
22. Atlanta (24) – From the he said what? file: Often-injured Brian Jordan, on the DL for 10 weeks, says he’s not ready to retire.
23. Colorado (17) ¬– Remember Kaz Matsui? He’s back in the bigs with the sliding Rockies.
24. Chicago Cubs (23) – New shortstop Cesar Izturis fits right in with this group with his stay on the disabled list.
25. Baltimore (27) – Daniel Cabrera, with 16 scoreless innings, has been sharp since being recalled from minors.
26. Seattle (26) – Since they are experimenting anyway, they might as well give the Mariners Moose a try in the rotation.
27. Pittsburgh (28) – No-name pitching staff has compiled a 3.98 ERA since the All-Star break, fourth-best in baseball.
28. Tampa Bay (29) – They’re going to start getting charged rent because they live in the AL East cellar.
29. Washington (25) – Ryan Zimmerman leads all rookies in RBI (84), doubles (38), extra-base hits (56) and walks (51).
30. Kansas City (30) – They score 10 in an inning and still lose, proving that with that pitching staff, no lead really is safe.

Mariners pitcher Gil Meche, scheduled to pitch Tuesday night, was bumped back to Saturday because of soreness in his forearm, manager Mike Hargrove said.

Hargrove said the team wanted to be careful with Meche and give him some extra rest. Meche has not pitched more than 5 1/3 innings in his last five starts. During that time his ERA has gone from 3.83 to 4.66.

Taking Meche's Tuesday start is Cha Seung Baek, who was promoted from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day. Baek was 12-4 with a 3.00 ERA for the Rainiers, ranking second in the Pacific Coast League in wins and in the top five in ERA.

The Seattle Mariners added pitcher Cha Seung Baek and outfielder T.J. Bohn from the Rainiers on Tuesday afternoon. Baek, who will start tonight against the Yankees, takes Jamie Moyer's place in the rotation as expected.

What was not expected, however, was the promotion of Bohn, and not because Bohn didn't deserve it. The Mariners center fielder of the future is Adam Jones, but Jones was sent down to Tacoma.

Manager Mike Hargrove said the move was done so Jones could play regularly, something he has not done the last week with the Mariners. Hargrove said he wasn't playing Jones because he felt like the 21-year-old was "over matched" against certain pitchers.

Bohn is a natural center fielder, has good speed and has been hot at the plate the last 10 or so games. In 89 games with the Rainiers, Bohn is hitting .275 with eight homers and 39 RBI and 14 stolen bases.

Reliever Sean Green was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday when the Mariners placed reliever Mark Lowe on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right (pitching) elbow.

Lowe did not give up a run in his first 13 appearances with the Mariners but has surrendered four in his last two outings since missing about a week with elbow soreness.

Green is making his third appearance with the Mariners and is 0-0 with a 5.27 ERA in 27 1/3 innings with Seattle. With Triple-A Tacoma, Green is 4-1, 2.25 ERA with five saves.

Rainiers pitcher Cha Seung Baek, second in the PCL with 12 victories and among the league leaders with a 3.00 ERA, will be recalled and take Jamie Moyer's place on the Mariners roster, the News Tribune has learned.

Baek, 26, is having his best season of his career after having his worst. In 2005, he had a 6.41 ERA and was taken off the Mariners' 40-man roster. But he re-signed with Seattle, went to a tighter breaking curveball and has had a big bounce back year.

To read more on Baek, check out Page 7 of Sunday's News Tribune sports section. I talked with Baek for about a half hour on Friday about his success this season.

Mariners pitcher Jamie Moyer has been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for two minor league pitchers.

General manager Bill Bavasi, who is with the Mariners in Anaheim, announced the trade during the third inning on Saturday.

Moyer, 43, has been with the Mariners since coming over from the Boston Red Sox in a midseason trade in 1996. He has a 145-87 record with Seattle and is 6-12 with a 4.39 ERA this season. As a player who has played 10 years (or more) in the majors and at least five years with the same team, Moyer had the right to veto the trade.

A side note: Moyer was born in Sellersville, Penn., attended high school and college there.

The Phillies, despite being two games under .500, have crawled back into contention for the NL wild card. They trail the Cincinnati Reds by 2 1/2 games.

The two pitchers the Mariners got – Andrew Baldwin and Andrew Barb – are in Class A. Baldwin, at Clearwater, pitched in 27 games (20 starts), going 8-8 with a 4.04 ERA. In 147 innings, he struck out 100. Barb, at Lakewood, is a reliever who had 18 saves, a 6-2 record, 2.23 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings.

Check out who is at No. 26 this week...

1. Detroit (1) – Losing 2B Placido Polanco won’t keep them out of the playoffs but could hurt them in the playoffs.
2. Chicago White Sox (4) – 4-game series vs. Tigers beginning Monday is chance for the defending champs to make a statement.
3. New York Mets (3) – Paul LoDuca says Mets are 2-1 favorites to win the NL pennant.
4. New York Yankees (2) – Contemplated getting Aaron Boone and Bucky Dent for weekend series against Red Sox.
5. Oakland (6) – It’s no coincidence that A is the first letter of August.
6. Boston (7) – Since getting rocked in first start off DL, David Wells is 2-1 with a 2.75 ERA.
7. Los Angeles Dodgers (10) – Can open up some ground with the next seven games vs. NL West.
8. Minnesota (5) – Twins, with Francisco Liriano and now Matt Garza, must have figured a way to clone hard-throwing pitchers.
9. Toronto (8) – Two things they are first in: Victories by a team whose nickname begins with B, wins by a Canadian team.
10. Los Angeles Angels (12) – Rally Monkey fined and suspended for role in Texas brawl.
11. St. Louis (9) – Ronnie Belliard, Jeff Weaver and now Preston Wilson … are they running a baseball team or a half-way house for journeymen players?
12. Cincinnati (11) – As tough a year as Junior has had it would be nice to see him in the playoffs.
13. Texas (14) – We’re ending the moratorium on Kip Wells jokes… How could Rangers know “Ironman” Wells would end up on the DL?
14. Arizona (13) – Eric Byrnes rises again in Phoenix (.226 with 10 homers in 2005, .279 19 homers in 2006).
15. Philadelphia (17) – This team is exhibit 1-A for why traditionalists hate the wild card concept.
16. San Diego (15) – Padres don’t have a prayer unless they start playing better at Petco Park.
17. Colorado (19) – We are not making this up: Entered weekend with second-best ERA (4.09) in baseball.
18. San Francisco (22) – They are still alive as long as Ben-Gay and Motrin aren’t considered banned substances.
19. Milwaukee (20) – Ex-Rangers closer Francisco Cordero begins Brewers career with 10 consecutive scoreless innings.
20. Houston (16) – Time to get it together with 8-of-next-11 against teams with losing records.
21. Florida (21) – The owner is made at manager Joe Giradi? Is he serious? Giradi has been a key to team’s success.
22. Cleveland (26) – Travis Hafner would be a serious MVP candidate if Indians were anywhere close to being in contention.
23. Chicago Cubs (25) – The weekly rumor mill for managerial candidates lands on Bruce Bochy of the Padres.
24. Atlanta (23) – Hot-and-cold: Matt Diaz goes 10-for-10 but Edgar Renteria has and 0-for-24 streak.
25. Washington (24) – Alfonso Soriano has a chance for a 30-30-30 (homers, steals, trade rumors) season.
26. Seattle (18) – Given their season, we ask this: Is the glass half empty or half full?
27. Baltimore (27) – Jeff Conine says he’s thinking of retiring, a look at his numbers suggests he already has.
28. Pittsburgh (30) – Did you know Pirates were 16-14 in last 30 games before losing on Tuesday and Wednesday? Furthermore, did you care?
29. Tampa Bay (28) – Make them take the bus: D-Rays are 1-15 on road since All-Star break.
30. Kansas City (29) – Royals would be dropped to Triple-A if baseball operated like English soccer.

First baseman Richie Sexson, who has been away from the team since Monday for the birth of his twins, will be in uniform for the Mariners game in Anaheim against the Angels on Thursday.

To make room for Sexson on the active roster, utiliyman Mike Morse was optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma. Morse appeared in Tuesday's game at Oakland, going 1-for-1 as a pinch hitter. He has hit .409 in (9x22) in nine games with the Mariners this season, with eight RBI.

The Mariners reinstated outfielder Chris Snelling from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday and optioned reliever Sean Green to Tacoma to make room for Snelling on the 25-man roster.

Snelling was involved in a weird series of transactions back in July. He was recalled from Tacoma on July 26 but then was placed on the DL the next day with a shoulder impingement. He was sent to Tacoma for a rehab stint, and now rejoins the Mariners after a 20-day stint.

The 23-year-old Australian, who has been snake bit by a series of injuries, hit .216 with five homers and 39 RBI in 69 gmes with the Rainiers. Snelling began the season on the disabled list recovering
from ACL surgery on his left knee.

Snelling played for the Mariners in 2002 and 2005 with a combined .214 average (12x56) in 23 Major League games.

Green, 27, has no decisions and a 5.40 ERA (16 ER/26.2 IP) in 17 games for the Mariners this season.

Those Tigers might have slipped a little, but they're still the best of the bunch...

1. Detroit (1) – The weekly superlative: Posted franchise’s best record ever after 113 games.
2. New York Yankees (3) – Not so fast Yankee haters. The boys from the Bronx are gearing up for another October run.
3. New York Mets (2) – With Anna Benson (and hubby) now in Baltimore, Paul LoDuca’s love life a god send for tabloids.
4. Chicago White Sox (5) – Not to say they can’t win the division but Ozzie Guillen is more likely to win the Nobel Prize than that happening.
5. Minnesota (6) – No Francisco Liriano, no hope of staying in the wild card hunt.
6. Oakland (7) – Forget Nintendo, it’s the A’s who own the Mariners.
7. Boston (4) – Instead of playing “Sweet Caroline” at Fenway they should play “Slip Sliding Away.”
8. Toronto (9) – Injured pitcher Gustavo Chacin has been on the shelf more than his brand of cologne.
9. St. Louis (8) – A boxing analogy: They’re in rope-a-dope mode but luckily, they don’t fight any hard punchers.
10. Los Angeles Dodgers (15) – Let’s see. They went from dead-to-first under Grady Little? Isn’t that supposed to work the other way around?
11. Cincinnati (11) – Hard to believe a team with four ex-Mariners can contend for a playoff spot.
12. Los Angeles Angels (13) – Will go as far as their young pitchers (Santana, Weaver, Saunders) will take them.
13. Arizona (12) – Shortstop Stephen Drew (.337) making good first impression.
14. Texas (14) – Snohomish’s Adam Eaton looks good in beating Mariners on Thursday.
15. San Diego (10) – Trevor Hoffman is a 30-11 player: 30 saves in MLB-best 11 seasons.
16. Houston (18) – No joke, Reds, but I’ve got a funny feeling Astros will win the NL wild card.
17. Philadelphia (21) – Ryan Howard has shot at Mike Schmidt’s homer (48) record.
18. Seattle (16) – If the AL West were a fiesta, the Mariners would be the pinada.
19. Colorado (17) – Jeff Francis fashions eye-popping 2.19 ERA since All-Star Game.
20. Milwaukee (20) – Sausage race adds chorizo … do we call them the Cervezas?
21. Florida (22) – Hot rumor has manager Joe Giradi taking over Cubs in 2007.
22. San Francisco (19) – With a 19-game stretch vs. NL West, they’ve still got a shot.
23. Atlanta (23) – We’re wishing they would have asked waivers on Chip Caray.
24. Washington (25) – Just wondering if D.C. fans are still excited to have a team.
25. Chicago Cubs (27) – Hoping pitcher Rich Hill can be like Kerry Wood and Mark Prior … minus all the injuries.
26. Cleveland (26) – So far, Mariners look to have missed the train on Shin Soo Choo, who is hitting .340 for Indians.
27. Baltimore (24) – No tears were shed at Camden Yards for the ending of the Javy Lopez Era.
28. Tampa Bay (28) – Manager Joe Maddon is top pick on the all-quote team.
29. Kansas City (30) – Sarcasm alert! All things are possible now that Mike Sweeney is healthy.
30. Pittsburgh (29) – No juice in Houston: Pirates go 0-6 at Minute Maid Park.

Playing center field anywhere is tough enough but Safeco Field, with its spacious allies can be especially difficult. Mariners rookie center fielder Adam Jones is basically learning on the job in the majors, having played shortstop until this season. Jones talks about what it's like to play center at Safeco Field.click here

Willie Bloomquist's take on playing center

The Mariners announced Monday evening that DH Carl Everett has cleared waivers and is a free agent. Everett was designated for assignment by the Mariners on July 27.

The Mariners had 10 days to trade him but found no takers for the 35-year-old. Everett, who signed a free agent deal in the offseason, hit .227 with 11 homers and 33 RBI in 92 games for Seattle.

The weekly rankings:

1. Detroit (1) – Expect to hear more about 1984 than a reading of George Orwell’s famous book.
2. New York Mets (3) – Carlos Beltran (33 homers) is once again a prime-time player.
3. New York Yankees (4) – Imagine how much you could have won betting that Chien-Min Wang (13-4, 3.58) would have a better ERA and more wins than Randy Johnson at this point.
4. Boston (2) – You can’t keep losing key players and expect to hold of the Yankees and their unlimited supply of money.
5. Chicago White Sox (6) – All of a sudden their starters don’t look so good, which is a big problem.
6. Minnesota (5) – As good as they’ve been they are still a year away from being a factor for the entire season.
7. Oakland (10) – The A’s are No. 1 when it comes to one-run victories (21).
8. St. Louis (8) – Crazy stat: In 70 games since May 12, Cards go 35-35 and increase their lead in NL Central by 3½ games.
9. Toronto (7) – Sorry, there’s no refund for signing free-agent A.J. Burnett (2-5, 4.84), who’s getting $55 mill for 5 years.
10. San Diego (11) – Todd Walker at third? What’s wrong, was Scott Spiezio not available.
11. Cincinnati (9) – A developing sub-plot for Cincinnati is a hunt for a Reds October, which would be its first playoff run since 1999.
12. Arizona (13) – Carlos Quentin begins with a bang, becoming fourth player to hit four homers in first nine days in bigs.
13. Los Angeles Angels (12) – John Lackey (10-6, 2.95) gets our vote for most underrated AL pitcher.
14. Texas (14) – Considering he won his debut with Rangers, we’ll hold off on the Kip Wells jokes. … for now.
15. Los Angeles Dodgers (21) – Not quite three aces, but Brad Penny, Greg Maddux and Derek Lowe give Dodgers best threesome in NL West.
16. Mariners (16) – Staying in the race keeps them ahead of Storm (but behind Seahawks) on area fans’ radar.
17. Colorado (18) – Not a good sign when you are trading for two Royals pitchers.
18. Houston (20) – Juiciest tidbits about deadline deals involved Astros trading Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens.
19. San Francisco (15) – Nine-game losing streak was longest since 1996 and only one short of team record.
20. Milwaukee (19) – Let the Tony Gwynn Era (that’s junior, FYI), begin.
21. Philadelphia (24) – How does a team with Bobby Abreu, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Jimmy Rollins fail to win at least half of its games?
22. Atlanta (17) – Braves, with NL-low 22 home victories, should consider staying in hotels full-time.
23. Florida (23) – A little salt in Mariners’ fans wounds: Miguel Olivo is hitting .291 with 12 homers.
24. Baltimore (22) – If Ervin Santana and Erick Aybar are as good as everyone thinks, O’s will be kicking themselves for not trading Miguel Tejada for them.
25. Washington (25) – GM Jim Bowden faces real pressure now of having to sign Alfonso Soriano.
26. Cleveland (26) – Bullpen is so bad they’re thinking of asking Charlie Sheen if he wants to be the closer.
27. Chicago Cubs (28) – When you’re going nowhere, losing Kerry Wood (shoulder) for the year isn’t a devastating blow.
28. Tampa Bay (27) – Season won’t be a loss if super-prospect B.J. Upton finally shows he’s got it together.
29. Pittsburgh Pirates (29) – Freddy Sanchez trying to become first Buc to win a batting title since Dave Parker did it in 1977 and 78.
30. Kansas City (30) – Fair trade? Mark Teahen wins player of week the same week as the player he was traded for (Carlos Beltran).

Reliever Rafael Soriano was activated from the 15-day disabled list on Friday. To make room on the 25-man roster, the club optioned reliever Emiliano Fruto to Triple-A Tacoma.

Soriano, 26, was placed on the disabled list July 29, retroactive to July 20, due to right shoulder fatigue. He is 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA and two saves in 42 appearances. He has not pitched since July 19 at Yankee Stadium.

Fruto, 22, is 0-1, 5.68 over 14 games and three stints with Seattle this
season. He has allowed 22 hits and 12 runs in 19.0 innings with the Mariners.

On a previous post a couple of you had some questions. I figured it would be more informative (and easier!) to answer them here:

Q. Why not do a deal at the trading deadline? – jamesdhiggins

A. The Mariners weren't the only team not to make a trade deadline deal. 14 teams did not make a trade on Monday, including the usually active Oakland A's and the Arizona Diamondbacks, who, like the Mariners, are in a race when many expected them to be back of the pack.

This tells me that it was not a buyers market. Plus, the Mariners can't afford to part with their top tier talent because there's not a lot of depth right now in the organization of those guys.

And, I honestly think the Mariners, despite the impovement they've shown this year, are still a year away from being serious contenders.

Q. What ever happened to Matt Lawton? – jshmtred

A. Lawton was waived by the Mariners earlier this season and has not been picked up by another team.

Q. Roberto Petagine is with the Rainiers but not playing every day. What's going on? – servant

A. Petagine is sort of in a pickle. He's a first base-DH guy and the Rainiers have a logjam of players for that position. So, that makes it hard for him to get at-bats because the organization wants playing time going to guys like Bryan LaHair, Chris Snelling and Matt Clement.