FanHouse MikeMorse

The Mariners will be finishing up a six-game road trip this afternoon at Yankee Stadium, and they'll be hoping to avoid going 0-6. Still, you have to wonder, despite the fact that they haven't won a game on this trip, do they really even want to go back home to Seattle? At least while they're in New York, the home fans can't kill them, so they're safer on the road.

There's probably also some fear in manager John McLaren and general manager Bill Bavasi that they may not hold those titles for much longer. The fans wouldn't exactly cry themselves to sleep at night knowing those two were gone, and they may be getting their wish soon as both have received the dreaded votes of confidence from team president Chuck Armstrong.

"Their positions are secure," Armstrong told MLB.com from his Bellevue, Wash., home. "They are not to be blamed for what's going on.

"In my 23 years, I have never ever seen anything like this. We saw it the other way in 2001. I mean, you have to ask yourself, 'How did the Mariners win 116 games that season with that roster, compared to this roster?' This is just as inexplicable the other way."

When you talked to MLB scouts this spring about what it would take for the Seattle Mariners to overtake the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West this season, to a man they all said just about the same thing. "Oh, it's totally on Mike Morse's shoulders. If Mike Morse doesn't carry this offense all by himself throughout the season, the team has no chance. I mean, Ichiro can only do so much, you know?"

Well the sky is falling, Seattle, because reserve infielder Mike Morse's shoulders just couldn't handle the load, and he's done for the season.

Morse on Tuesday underwent what was termed "shoulder reconstruction" to repair a torn labrum in his dislocated left shoulder, suffered on the April 13 dive.

Surgery was performed by Dr. Edward Khalfayan, the Mariners' medical director. Khalfayan said the surgery "went well," according to a team release.

While Morse didn't sign a release to let the Mariners talk about his injury, it's safe to say he's not going to be back anytime soon. Generally the surgery he had requires a six-month rehab, and Morse probably isn't going to be able to swing a bat for at least four months.

Tis a dark, dark day in Seattle.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am just in a "middle infielder getting demoted" kinda mood. So with that in mind, I bring you the latest infielder to be optioned to Triple-A, Hector Luna.

The Indians have finally pulled the plug on the ill-conceived, ill-fated, Hector Luna Experience.

In the latest round of roster cuts announced yesterday, Luna was optioned to Buffalo. After watching Luna commit eight of the team's 22 errors -- no other player has more than three -- Tribe officials decided that the 27-year-old infielder was no longer in the running for a spot on the opening day roster as a utility infielder.

The Indians received Luna last season as part of the trade that sent Ronnie Belliard to St. Louis. The move was also accelerated due to the strong play of Mike Rouse. Rouse has been the superior fielder and he's batting .333 this spring. Luna has been hitting .241. While Eric Wedge will not confirm Morse's spot on the Opening Day roster, it's safe to say that Rouse will be in Chicago on April 2nd.

The only question the Indians have left in filling out their bench will be whether the teams takes my personal favorite Ryan Garko, or another outfielder between Ben Francisco or Franklin Gutierrez.

Previously at the Fanhouse:

Free Garko