Mariners

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Here’s a much more up-close look at Felix Hernandez’s bullpen session this morning than we were able to show you the first time around when he was indoors. Today, he threw in the outdoor pen, with Mariners minor league catcher John Hicks forming the other end of the battery. Hicks gets a firsthand lesson on just how much movement there is to Hernandez’s offerings, as you’ll see early on in the video.

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez threw his latest bullpen this morning with minor league catching prospect John Hicks in Peoria, AZ.

We’ve got the second Cactus League game this spring coming up at noon PT when the Mariners again face the San Diego Padres at the Peoria Sports Complex. Blake Beavan takes the mound for the Mariners attempting to avoid the early woes that torpedoed Hector Noesi yesterday. Interesting to note that Nick Franklin is starting at second base today while Brad Miller plays shortstop. We’ve been telling you since the Arizona Fall League that the Mariners appear to be heading in that future direction — they pretty much confirmed it by trying to trade Franklin to the Diamondbacks in the Justin Upton aborted swap — and nothing I’m seeing this spring suggests any change in that plan.

Franklin did get into yesterday’s game as a shortstop partway through. But this will be the first start for either infielder.

We’ll also get our first look at Justin Smoak in game action this spring.