UPDATE 12:51 AM -- Jeff Clement's comment to Mike Curto, who covered the game for us: "I have no idea, they haven't told me anything."

Rainiers manager Daren Brown's only comment was no comment.

File this name away as well -- Aaron Pribianic of Class A Clinton

UPDATE 10:45 -- I tried to contact Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik but haven't heard from him. Manager Don Wakamatsu when asked about Clement had no idea that he'd been pulled and was informed of it only moments before his postgame press conference.

"I just found out about it," Wakamatsu said. "Obviously, we were here trying to win a ballgame. They are on the phone during the game talking to people and making decisions."

Then again when I mentioned to him that he wouldn't be the first to know of these things, he agreed.

"I trust our organization in Jack Zduriencik's hands," Wakamatsu said. "I don't know any details beyond that he was pulled from the game."

However, I talked with a player, who seemed pretty certain that a deal would be announced tomorrow. And that player, said, "I don't think we're selling, I think we're going out to get somebody."

If that's the case, there is a possibility that the Mariners would need to package Clement, along with perhaps a big league player (reliever?) and another minor league player. I'm checking into that, but it could be possibly be a pitching prospect from Double A or A.

UPDATE: My source told me that Clement isn't sick either. So obviously something is going on. And if you recall, Clement was also given yesterday off. So there's something being discussed or in process of being finalize. How it involves Clement we aren't certain.

Obviously, we heard the talk of the three-way trade earlier this week, in which Clement and Brandon Morrow would go to the Indians, Cliff Lee and possibly Victor Martinez would go to the Rays and then Scott Kazmir and Reid Brignac would come to Seattle.

That deal seemed to be off the table, especially with the Red Sox and Phillies pushing to get Lee instead.

But remember many of the perceived deals that we thought Jack Z was going to make, end up being different than suspected.

I've been informed that Jeff Clement has been pinch hit for in the third inning of the Rainiers game tonight in Reno. I have it on pretty reliable source that it is not injury related.

Hmmmmmm

Clement has been rumored to be part of possible trades already this season and maybe he is part of a package deal.

Or perhaps, he is being called up in place of another player for the Mariners, who might be getting dealt.

It's tough to say, but I do think it's unlikely that he angered manager Daren Brown to where he would be pulled. Jeff isn't that guy. The only other thing might be sickness of some sort, but he seemed fine when I talked to him yesterday, other than the mustache he was starting to grow.

Right now, I'm not sure, what's going on, but I will do some digging.

Not much to ask of a fellow who's spent the last four or five days talking about whether he was about to be traded, but Jarrod Washburn will try to snap a four-game Mariners losing streak tonight.

During that streak, Seattle has been out-scored, 42-10 - and folks are leaping off the bandwagon in packs.

Washburn has eight wins this season and probably should have three or four others, but none has been any more urgent than this one would be.

He could use a little help, and the lineup is without Russell Branyan and Jose Lopez once again. Both have tight backs.

Ichiro Suzuki had three of the Mariners 12 singles Monday night, and in his career he now has 194 three-hit games.

What the Mariners need tonight might be a three-run game from Ichiro, which would require someone driving him in.

Ichiro leads the American League by a wide margin with 146 hits - but he's not in the top 10 in runs scored.

It's Washburn vs. Marc Rzepczynski.

Who's in left?

First inning, no score, no one on and two outs. Vernon Wells drills a Washburn fastball deep to left field.

Rookie Michael Saunders tracks it, measures it and then leaps - all 6-foot-4 of him - and caught the ball near the top of the wall.

Waiting near the dugout, Washburn high fived the kid. Nicely done.

Ichiro ball

Ichiro's 147th hit of the season was a ground ball to shortstop that he outran. When Rzepcyznski tried to keep him close to first base, he balked Ichiro to second base.

Franklin Gutierrez bunted him to third. Mike Sweeney aimed a ground ball to the right side of the infield, Ichiro scored and Sweeney had his 17th RBI.

After one: Mariners 1, Blue Jays 0

Pitch count! Pitch count!

For dave and everyone else intrigued by the changing world of pitch counts in baseball, here's a wonderful story examining the topic from Tim Kurkjian.

He talked to quite a few people, including Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu, and comes up with eight possible explanations - including the influence of the media.

Now, back to the game.

Washburn working it

Through five innings and with 63 pitches, Washburn has held Toronto to two hits, making that one run hold up.

The Mariners, of course, haven't added on. With scouts watching, Washburn has given them about all anyone could ask for - high fastballs, the occasional change, a breaking pitch that's been nasty.

And, oh yes, he's throwing a shutout.

After five: Mariners 1, Blue Jays 0

Mariners add on

Ichiro hasn't scored three runs yet, but he's scored two.

After Ichiro opened the sixth with a walk, Gutierrez singled, Sweeney grounded into a force play and Shelton - playing only because Branyan is stiff - doubled home a run.

Jack Hannahan singled home Sweeney.

After six: Mariners 3, Blue Jays 0

Toronto rallies

Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with birds with one out, but manager Don Wakamatsu left it to Washburn as Mark Lowe warmed up in the bullpen.

Washburn gave up a sacrifice fly to Jose Bautista, got a line drive out from Raul Chavez and was out of it.

In the seventh: Mariners 3, Blue Jays 1

Toronto rallies II

Washburn is done after seven, and with Lowe pitching, the Jays got back-to-back doubles from Marco Scutaro and Aaron Hill for a run.

With Hill on second, Lowe popped up Vernon Wells and Scott Rolen, but Alex Rios doubled to tie it up.

Lowe struck out Lyle Overbay.

If this losing streak is to be stopped tonight, Washburn won't be the one to end it with a win.

In the eighth: Mariners 3, Blue Jays 3

It's over!

Third baseman Hannahan's third hit of the night opened the ninth, Rob Johnson walked and Chris Woodward was credited with a bunt single that loaded the bases.

Pinch-hitter Jose Lopez forced Hannahan at the plate. With the infield playing in, Ronny Cedeno struck out.

Ichiro looked terrible on a second-strike swing, then blooped a single into short center field for the win.

It's final: Mariners 4, Blue Jays 3

When Erik Bedard came off the disabled list this month, he made two starts before his left shoulder started hurting whenever he threw a fastball.

"It just got consistently worse, but after my third start I didn't say anything - I didn't want to skip a start," Bedard said today. "We're playing well, we're winning and the team counted on me to be there every fifth day."

Bedard's fourth start was four days ago against Cleveland, and in it he threw 81 pitches in three innings.

"Not good," he said of the effort. "I felt OK warming up, but in the game, whenever I'd max out the fastball, there was a sharp pain, and I didn't have any command of the ball.

"I could throw the curve without the pain. I just assumed it was tendinitis, and that I could pitch through it."

When Bedard came out after the third inning, manager Don Wakamatsu told him he was done. Bedard didn't argue. He was in pain and pitching ineffectively.

After the game, Wakamatsu, general manager Jack Zduriencik and trainer Rick Griffin met with Bedard.

"I didn't volunteer anything," he said. "But I didn't really have to. They knew something was wrong, so I told them."

There is, as of now, no official diagnosis other than inflammation, and Bedard is getting treatment for it.
Wakamatsu said today Bedard would try to throw tomorrow, in part to evaluate his progress, in part to keep him stretched out while on the disabled list.

Bedard will try, he said, to do everything he's asked to do. As of today, however, the discomfort remains little changed.

"If my arm is at my side, I'm fine," he said. "If I lift it, it hurts."

He is aware - perhaps hyper-aware - of the complaints that he is injury prone or, worse, a wimp.

"I work hard, but in this game everyone works hard," he said. "Some people just get hurt, and you can't explain it. You can't explain everything that happens, you just deal with it.

"I feel terrible. I'm letting my team down, and I don't know when I'll pitch again. I we had a magic wand, we could wave it over my shoulder and I'd be fine."

Instead, he takes his meds, does his exercises, goes through the ice packs and heat packs and waits for the pain to subside when he lifts his left arm.

"My teammates are supportive, but when guys ask 'How are you doing?' I always say, 'OK.' I don't know what else to say."

A relatively quiet pregame meeting with manager Don Wakamatsu.

The status of Russell Branyan and Jose Lopez and their achy backs were the first order of business.

We thought we'd have tehm both back in there today, but they were both a little bit stiff," Wakamatsu said. "I'd like to think they are going to be in there tomorrow. Bottom line, I think it's better off resting them and letting them get in there tomorrow."

Branyan has battled this on different occasions, including spring training and most recently the road trip in Cleveland. But Wakamatsu said this isn't quite as severe.

Lopez just woke up stiff, there wasn't a play that tweaked the back that Wakamatsu could recall.

Wakamatsu said he probably won't use either in a pinch-hitting situation.

As I type this, Adrian Beltre is taking batting practice on the field. He's hit a few balls deep into the left-field stands.

"His BP yesterday was as good as I've seen in a long time," Wakamatsu said.

The plan is to have Beltre to continue taking batting practice and working out into the Texas portion of the road trip and then possibly activating him Kansas City.

Jarrod Washburn takes the mound tonight while trade rumors continue to swirl about him. According to Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal and JP Morosi, the Mariners have told interested teams like the Brewers, Yankees and Phillies, that Washburn is officially on the market.

Wakamatsu was asked how Washburn is dealing with the rumors and speculation.

"It’s not easy for anybody," Wakamatsu said. "We had a talk in there yesterday and just tried to keep him focused. He is a veteran guy and been through a lot. He went through it last year and nothing happened last year. To me, if there is anybody can handle it, it would be him."

As for Erik Bedard's replacement in the rotation, Wakamatsu said they are leaning towards Garrett Olson making that start.

Blue Jays
Scutaro SS
Hill 2B
Wells CF
Rolen 3B
Rios RF
Overbay 1B
Millar DH
Bautista LF
Chavez C
-----------
RHP LHP Rzepcynski

Mariners
Ichiro RF
Gutierrez CF
Sweeney DH
Shelton 1B
Hannahan 3B
Johnson C
Woodward 2B
Saunders LF
Cedeno SS
--------
LHP Washburn

So according to Mets GM Omar Minaya, if you write stories about how your assistant GM took his shirt off in the Double A clubhouse and challenged all the players to a fight, apparently it's because you are trying to get a job in the Mets' player development staff.

During yesterday's press conference discussing the dismissal of assistant GM Tony Bernazard, Minaya unexpectedly insinuated that the New York Daily News Mets beat writer Adam Rubin was trying to take down Bernazard to somehow get himself a job with the Mets, or as vindication for not getting a job with the Mets.

“Adam, for the past couple of years, has lobbied for a player development position," Minaya said. "He has lobbied myself, he has lobbied Tony, and when these things first came out, I didn't know what to think about it."

Rubin to his credit didn't back down and confronted Minaya about the insinuation in the press conference, to which Minaya didn't really answer. Here's some video of it. Rubin also defended himself today in the paper.

To be honest, from the few times I've dealt with Minaya, it seemed a little out of character. But I think he knows the vultures are circling. Though this recent outburst did nothing to help him.

So I guess for me to get a job working for Jack Z, at least along Minaya's thinking, I just need to have Lee Pelekoudas, fly to West Tenn, rip off his shirt and challenge the likes of Greg Halman, Phillippe Aumont, Josh Fields and Nick Hill to throw down and then write about it.

Wow, working in New York would be interesting.