Mariners to call up outfielder Mike Wilson

A dismal weekend at the plate and in the field has prompted the Mariners to call up right-handed hitting outfielder Mike Wilson from Class AAA Tacoma.

Wilson is to join the team for its road trip to Baltimore and Cleveland this week after hitting .381 with a 1.112 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 16 games for Tacoma. The move comes after the Mariners, sporting a primarily left-handed hitting lineup, have been manhandled by opposing pitchers for much of the season.

Things came to a head the past nine games, when the Mariners, after a brief spurt on the road in Detroit nearly two weeks ago, were held to just 23 total runs. They scored just five runs in their weekend series against the White Sox, with two of those coming in the final two games – both losses.

The play of Milton Bradley in left field was also the subject of much criticism and speculation about his future. Bradley was booed by Safeco Field fans on Saturday after failing to get to several balls hit his way.

He appeared to misjudge a flyball in the fourth inning on Sunday and had it hit the wall for a double. Then, on an ensuing single, his throw home sailed wide and resulted in a series of misplays that led to two Chicago runs.

Sources confirmed Sunday night that Wilson will join the Mariners in Baltimore and will be used right away.

He is primarily a corner outfielder with only limited experience in center, so he will likely replace Bradley when used in the field. The team will also likely use Wilson as a right-handed hitting designated hitter.

Since Wilson is not on the 40-man roster, the Mariners will have to remove somebody to clear a spot. The team won’t announce anything until Monday, but could simply pull a struggling AAA player off the roster, then demote one of the existing Mariners roster members to the minors to free room.

Or, they could designate one of the current Mariners for assignment.

Immediate candidates for that would be Bradley, outfielder Ryan Langerhans or relief pitcher Chris Ray.

Langerhans bats left-handed and has barely been used the past two weeks, while Ray struggled in his early opportunities and also has been seldom-used since. Mariners manager Eric Wedge on Saturday said he’s open to dropping a reliever and going to a six-man bullpen at some point but set no timetable for it.

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com.

Read his daily blog at www.seattletimes.com/Mariners