We were just given the update on Carlos Silva and his MRI.

Silva underwent an MRI exam on Monday and he has an internal impingement and fraying of both the labrum and rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder. While it sounds bad, it is common for most pitchers to have fraying of those areas from constant use.

The MRI results were reviewed by Mariners team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Edward Khalfayan. But as a precaution the results are being sent to New York for a second opinion from Dr. David Altchek.

We don't know the extent of the fraying. And getting a second opinion is also a pretty common occurrence.

(Line-ups below)

GAME UPDATES START HERE

Top of 1st
Felix looking rather un-Felix-like in the first inning giving up four straight hits to start the inning. I'm still not certain where Lopez was playing on Torii Hunter's groundball to the right side. Felix didn't appear to understand it either. Anyway Angels get a 2-0 lead and Felix throw almost 30 pitches.

Bottom of 1st
Yeah, we've seen that type of swing a few times before, this one might not generate the same bat speed, but it still pretty darn smooth. Griffey with his fourth homer of the season.

Top of 2nd
A much better inning for Felix, though the Angels have shown they can and will steal second on Felix and Johjima

Bottom of 2nd
Ronny Cedeno with a two-run homer to give the M's a 3-2 lead. Hmm, wonder what Yuni is thinking.

Top of 3rd
The Angels aggressiveness costs them a run. After stealing second with ease, Torii Hunter tried to steal third as well and was tossed out with Kendry Morales at the plate, a few pitches later Morales hit a ground rule double. He was stranded at second costing them a run.

Bottom of 3rd
Not much going other than a Griffey walk

Top of 4th
The Angels get a run after a Gary Matthews walk and single up the middle from Howie Kendrick. Cedeno tried to make a diving play but couldn't come up with it.

Bottom of 4th
Joh gets an infield hit and Ronny Cedeno gets drilled by a pitch and Ichiro drives in a run with a single to the right side.

Top of 5th
Felix is leaving some pitches up in the zone and on the middle of the plate. He's paid for it with a couple of singles. A run scores on wild pitch, but really I think it should have been called a passed ball. Joh should have had that pitch. Jose Lopez commits an error at second to allow another run to score, it's now 5-4.

Thinking out loud for a moment, here's a question: Has Lopez played that much better than Yuni this season?

Bottom of 5th
The Mariners strand a pair of runners as Lopez as if on cue by that last comment, hits into an inning ending double play, swinging at the first pitch.

Top of 6th
Felix is done after a single from Izturis and a double to Abreu. Sean White comes in and cleans it up getting the final out ... Felix's line 5 2/3, 6 runs, 11 hits, thre walks three strikeouts and a wild pitch.

Bottom of 6th
The Mariners cut it to 6-5 as Johjima doubles to lead off the inning, Chavez sac bunts him over and Endy Chavez's grounder to second scores the run. Not exactly "chicks dig the long ball" but this is the Mariners this year.

Top of 7th
The Mainrers have not had 1-2-3 inning yet.

Bottom of 7th
The Mariners give the Angels a 1-2-3 inning though

Top of 8th
I really have no explanation for what Howie Kendrick was doing on that double play, though Cedeno did stay back for a moment like he might let it hop, but still, I don't think that's even justifiable as an excuse. Joh throws Izturis out on a steal, the Angels have certainly been aggressive. IT's helped them and hurt them tonight.

Bottom of 9th
The relieving trio of White, Lowe and Batista have done their job to keep the deficit only one run, but the Mariners bats have been quiet, Beltre has looked lost and Gutierrez and Lopez haven't been much better. They're a combined 0-12

And former Mariner prospect Brian Fuentes ends the hope with a strikeout of Ichiro to end the game... Angels 6, Mariners 5

Angels
Figgins 3B
Izturis SS
Abreu RFp
Hunter CF
Morales 1B
Napoli C
Matthews Jr. RF
Rivera DH
Kendrick 2B
-----
Palmer (4-0, 3.38 ERA)

Mariners
Ichiro RF
Gutierrez CF
Griffey Jr. DH
Beltre 3B
Branyan 1B
Lopez 2B
Johjima C
Cedeno SS
Chavez LF
------
Hernandez (4-2, 3.53 ERA)

Right now as I type this, Betancourt is standing in center field at Safeco with his arms crossed, clearly not pleased about NOT playing tonight. Manager Don Wakamatsu was asked if Betancourt's absence in the line-up was a product of last night's poor play in the field.

“It's some of that, obviously, but I need and want to see Ronny play a little bit more," Wakamatsu said. "Early in the season we had a little more rotation and I like that concept of giving guys breaks. It’s not that I am sending any messages, but it’s more about the level of play expectations. That’s one of the main reasons Ronny is playing short today.”

So it is a little about Yuni's play. But players have to earn playing time Wakamatsu said.

"How much is it lack of effort and how much is focus?" Wakamatsu said. "If we are going to go forward and do what we want to do here going forward, the level of expectation has to go higher and we have to make adjustments if mistakes are made.”

So that's that.

Injury updates
Matt Tuiasosopo had his surgery today on his right elbow today. Everything went well, they removed a few small bone spurs and will start rehabbing soon.

The results are in on Carlos Silva's MRI on his shoulder, but Wakamatsu said he'd wait for one of the team doctors to discuss it. So we'll probably meet with them about 5 p.m. Ryan Rowland-Smith (elbow) threw 55 pitches today in Arizona and felt good. He's going to come back up here, throw a bullpen session and then head out to Tacoma around May 23.

When asked when Rowland-Smith could ultimately return to the rotation, Wakamatsu said: “If everything went well, we could build his pitch-count up by the first week of next month and it would be pretty quick," Wakamatsu said. "He was at 55 today. A bullpen. I would say in two or three outings he would be ready."

... Roy Corcoran played catch again today and will throw a bullpen session on Thursday.

Other stuff ...
Russell Branyan, who played with Brad Nelson briefly last season with the Nashville Sounds, didn't even know that Nelson had signed with the Mariners. While he was surprised, he seemed happy for him.

"He can really hit when he gets going," Branyan said. "He's got a lot of power, but he's more of a line drive hitter. You know this year what Milwaukee asked him to do being a pinch hitter off the bench is a pretty tough thing to do as a rookie."

In the picture above, Mike McCready, guitar player for Pearl Jam, is in uniform and standing with Bob Sherwin of MLB.com and Kirby Arnold of the Everett Herald. McCready is playing the national anthem tonight. His sound check sounded pretty good, but it was funny he scared Adrian Beltre a few different times while Beltre was taking early BP.

I will admit, I like Pearl Jam, got to go with this as my favorite song

But "Black" is not far behind.

Mariners
Ichiro RF
Gutierrez CF
Griffey DH
Beltre 3B
Branyan 1B
Lopez 2B
Johjima C
Cedeno SS
Chavez LF
-------
Felix Hernandez P

Yesterday’s Results --- Standings --- Winner/Loser/Save
Tacoma, 0, at Oklahoma City 3 (G1) --- L-L. Muñoz (0-3)
Tacoma 1, at Oklahoma City 9 (G2) --- 20-19, 3rd, -4.5 L-C. Seddon (1-3)
Birmingham 3, at West Tenn 5 --- 14-22, 5th, -4.0 --- W-M. Rivera (4-3); SV-A. Varvaro (1)
Stockton 3, at High Desert 4 --- 24-14, 1st, +3.0 --- W-D. Hume (4-1); SV-S. Richard (2)
at Wisconsin 14, Clinton 7 --- 20-17, 4th, -3.0 --- L-W. Suriel (0-4)

AAA Tacoma Rainiers (Pacific Coast League)
Here's Mike Curto's game story
BOX SCORE GAME 1
BOX SCORE GAME 2
Pitching Lines (Game 1):
RH Luis Muñoz (L, 0-3) 6.0,6,3,3,1,7,HR
RH Brodie Downs 2.0,1,0,0,1,0
With the Bats (Game 1):
1B Mike Carp 1x2, 2 BB
SS Mike Morse 1x3, BB
Pitching Lines (Game 2):
LH Chris Seddon (L, 1-3) 4.0,8,6,6,3,2,HR
RH Eric Hull 1.0,3,2,2,1,0
RH Jared Wells 1.0,1,0,0,2,1
LH Justin Thomas 1.0,2,1,1,2,0
RH Randy Messenger 1.0,2,0,0,0,1
With the Bats (Game 2):
SS Mike Morse 2x4, 2B, K
LF Michael Saunders 1x3, R, BB, K
DH Jeff Clement 1x3, BB
Rainiers Notes: The Rainiers were swept in the double header and failed to score in the first 17 innings. Prentice Redman drove in Michael Saunders in in the 9th inning of G2. DH Jeff Clement has an 8-game hitting streak. During streak he is batting .429 (15x35) with 6 doubles and 2 home runs. Prentice Redman had his 9 game hit streak snapped in G1 but has hit safely in 10 of 11 (18x53/.340). Mike Morse went 3x7 during the double-header.
Thursday’s probable starter:
RH Andy Baldwin (2-2, 3.43) vs. Memphis

=> Read more!

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik added a familiar face to the Mariners, signing first baseman Brad Nelson to a minor league contract earlier today.

Nelson was with the Milwaukee Brewers organization since 2001, after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2001 draft.

Nelson, who hits left-handed with plenty of pop, was with the Brewers this season, but when he was outrighted, instead of choosing to return to Triple A, he chose to become a free agent. Not flawed logic, since he's stuck behind Prince Fielder.

This move makes plenty of sense for the Mariners who are lacking power. Nelson could help supplement it, though he's really never had much of an opportunity to do so at the big league level.

To be fair, acquiring Nelson is something that the USS Mariner has lobbied for often in the past.

Last year at Triple A Nashville, Nelson posted an OPS of .860, hitting 36 doubles, 18 homers and driving in 78 runs in 132 games.

So Nelson a first baseman/outfielder joins a Rainiers team with a few of them on the roster including, Mike Carp, Bryan LaHair and Chris Shelton. Don't forget that Jeff Clement and Mike Morse also work in at first base. But Rainiers manager Daren Brown has moved players around already this year to get at-bats, he can do a little more adjusting.

One thing is for certain, Nelson will give the Rainiers more pop to an already power-laden line-up that is near the top of PCL in home runs with 52, one behind leader Salt Lake.