Mike Sweeney makes Mariners' opening-day roster

SAN FRANCISCO — Just call Mike Sweeney the Mariners' Cinderella Man.

For the third straight year — one with the Oakland A's and two with the Mariners — he has overcome long odds to make the opening-day roster.

"The last three spring trainings I was told I had hardly any chance to make the team," Sweeney said before the Mariners' 7-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants in their exhibition finale Sunday at a rainy AT&T Park. "Each year's got progressively worse, the odds.

"I guess if Butler's in the (NCAA tournament) finals, a guy like me can make a team."

The Mariners made six moves Sunday — all of them expected — as they set their 25-man roster before Monday's season opener against the A's in Oakland.

Among those moves was signing Sweeney, a nonroster invitee to spring training for the second straight year, to a one-year contract.

Seattle also placed left-hander Cliff Lee (abdominal strain) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to March 26, and reassigned right-hander Jesus Colume, catcher Josh Bard and infielders Josh Wilson and Chris Woodward to Seattle's minor league camp.

After hitting .500 this spring, Sweeney expected to hear good news when general manager Jack Zduriencik called him into manager Don Wakamatsu's office on Sunday morning. Still, there remained a hint of doubt until Sweeney heard the official word.

"He's in the best shape I've seen him," Wakamatsu said. "He's a little lighter, a little leaner. He had some knee issues last year. He doesn't seem to have any problems with that, (and is) running the bases fine. A longshot, but knowing his makeup you almost had a feeling before camp started that he was going to make it hard on us, and he did."

Relief pitcher Kanekoa Texeira, who hasn't pitched above Class AA, also made the opening-day roster.

"I had a feeling I had a chance to make the team, and then they told me I was on the team," Texeira said. "It's probably the most exciting day of my life."

Matt Tuiasosopo will be with the Mariners on opening day for the second straight year, but last year he survived because Ichiro opened the season on the DL. Tuiasosopo didn't appear in a game before being sent down on April 16.

"It's kind of a different feeling this year," he said. "Now I'm a part of the team. This year I'm excited to contribute and help us win when I can.

"I knew that, in talking to (Wakamatsu), I had to work at some other positions, so I went into camp and wanted to show him I could play all the positions in the infield and outfield, just work hard at it every day."

Tuiasosopo saw action this spring at every position except pitcher and catcher. In the sixth inning Sunday, he made his debut in center field.

Update on Lee

Although Lee went on the DL, Wakamatsu said there was good news about his rehabilitation.

"When he first threw initially, he still felt (the strain), so we backed off a little bit. The last couple days he hasn't felt it at all," Wakamatsu said. "Obviously, we have to get his pitch count back up before he can start. The whole thing now is just trying to progress him without reinjuring him.

"Everything looks great. He threw today. He feels like he can get on the mound. He'll probably start to throw (Tuesday) off the mound a little."

Lee said he played catch up to 75 feet, felt no pain and believes he's "headed in the right direction."

Notes

• LHP Jason Vargas, who is slated to start the series opener at Texas on Friday, gave up just one run on five hits in his final tuneup, striking out three and walking none. He pitched all five innings in the rain.

"It was I guess one of those things that you can't let it get to you or else it will," Vargas said. "Until the umpires say something you can't really think about it. They were pretty good cleaning up the mound. It held up fine."

Sunday's game was called with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth because of the rain. "I thought overall we played through as much as we could without getting anybody hurt," Wakamatsu said."

• Tuiasosopo crushed a solo home run during a four-run sixth inning. C Adam Moore had two hits, including a two-run, bases-loaded double in the third.

• OF Milton Bradley, who left Saturday's game against Colorado after experiencing tightness in his right quadriceps, got the day off. "He should be in there (Monday)," Wakamatsu said. "We don't think it's very serious."

• LHP Erik Bedard, working his way back from shoulder surgery, threw off the mound Sunday "and looked great," Wakamatsu said. "He's ahead of schedule."