Notebook | Cesar Jimenez is eager to atone for 2006 performance

With each day of rehab, with each pitch of winter ball, with each day in the minors, Cesar Jimenez was thinking of this day.

After an ugly four-game stint with the Mariners in 2006, Jimenez fractured his left elbow — his pitching elbow — and missed much of the 2007 season. He could never be sure he would make it back to the majors.

"I've been working hard every day to come back," Jimenez said.

Tuesday, his day came. When the Mariners put Felix Hernandez on the 15-day disabled list on Monday — retroactive to June 24 — it made room on the 25-man roster for Jimenez to move up from AAA Tacoma to the Mariners.

It might be a short trip. Jimenez could be moved back July 9, when Hernandez could come off the disabled list, or sooner, depending on the Mariners' needs.

Jimenez was slated to start Tuesday for Tacoma, which would have been his first start of the year. But he would have been a spot starter, much like Ryan Rowland-Smith was for the Mariners on Tuesday. Jimenez said he could throw about 50 to 60 pitches.

Jimenez, who was signed by the Mariners in 2001, made his major-league debut in September 2006 with Seattle, pitching a scoreless inning against Toronto. He pitched in four games, including one start, and finished the year with a 14.73 ERA.

He didn't appear again until June 2007, when he returned from elbow surgery and made 16 appearances with Tacoma.

"I waited for a call-up in September, but it never happened," he said. "So I went back to Venezuela."

After a strong showing in the Venezuelan winter league, Jimenez has made 29 appearances for the Rainiers this season. He had a 3.55 ERA, striking out 47 in 38 innings with only eight walks.

"This year, I'm healthy," he said.

Mariners manager Jim Riggleman said Jimenez would be used "as needed," and as it turned out, that was the sixth and seventh innings Tuesday. He struck out two and allowed one hit in 1-2/3 scoreless innings.

Hitting in center field

Since Ichiro moved to right field July 16, the center field position has not seen a dramatic drop in production. Both Jeremy Reed and Willie Bloomquist are hitting as well as they have all season.

"The center-field situation allows them both to play a fair amount," Riggleman said.

Reed is hitting .372 over his past 16 games . He has raised his average to .305 since being called up from Tacoma May 19.

"I'm trying to hit pitches I can hit and not go out of my comfort zone, to not go after pitches they're trying to get me out with," Reed said.

Bloomquist has a hit in 11 of his past 13 games, with a .375 average in that time. Riggleman has also played Bloomquist, little used for the first two months, at shortstop.

"We just try to pop Willie in there when we can," Riggleman said.

One issue with Ichiro's move has been that two of the outfield positions now produce little power. Bloomquist does not have an extra-base hit this season. Before Tuesday, Ichiro did not have one in his last 71 plate appearances, the second-longest run without an extra-base hit in his major-league career. Reed had four extra-base hits in 79 at-bats.

Notes

• Voting for the All-Star Game, which will be played on July 15, concludes today, and it appears that Ichiro will be the only Mariner with a shot at starting for the American League. As of Monday afternoon, last year's All-Star Game MVP held a lead of 210,187 votes on the Angels' Vladimir Guerrero for the third outfield spot. Ichiro is a seven-time All-Star.

• P Miguel Batista, out for the past 10 days with a sore back, could be available in the bullpen as early as today, Riggleman said.

• In honor of Canada Day, the Blue Jays sported caps with their team logo in the form of a red maple leaf, like the one seen on the nation's flag.

Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com

For the record

Streak: W1

Home: 16-25

Road: 16-26

vs. AL West: 10-14

vs. L.A.: 3-6

vs. Oakland: 3-2

vs. Texas: 4-6

vs. AL East: 9-18

vs. AL Cent.: 4-10

vs. NL: 9-9

vs. LHP: 8-13

vs. RHP: 24-38

Day: 9-17

Night: 23-34

One-run: 9-15

Extra innings: 2-2

Home attendance

Tuesday's crowd: 24,586

Season total: 1,159,456

Biggest crowd: 46,334 (March 31)

Smallest crowd: 15,818 (May 6)

Average (41 dates): 28,279

2007 average (41 dates): 31,139