NEW YORK -- A sore left hamstring kept Robinson Cano out of the Mariners' starting lineup for a second straight game on Saturday against the Yankees, though the eight-time All-Star entered in the eighth inning with two men on to pinch-hit for Taylor Motter. He grounded out and remained in the game at second base, and Seattle lost to New York, 6-3.
Cano ("Don't You Know" for Players Weekend) tested the leg in some pregame work with athletic trainer Rick Griffin before huddling with manager Scott Servais, who determined there was still enough concern over the second baseman's movement on defense that it would be better to give him another day to rest.
"Robbie is getting better," Servais said after Saturday's loss. "We'll give it a go and see if we can get him in the lineup tomorrow and go from there."
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Cano pinch hit in the ninth inning of Friday's win over the Yankees as well, and then stayed in the game at second base for the final two innings.
"We had to take a shot at it there with the bases loaded," Servais said. "It'd be crazy not to. He didn't have any plays at second. That didn't affect him."
Cano injured the hamstring coming out of the batter's box on a third-inning double in Atlanta on Wednesday, and he was immediately removed from that game. There was enough concern that the Mariners flew veteran infielder James Beckham to New York from Triple-A Tacoma in case Cano needed to go on the 10-day disabled list.
Beckham spent Friday working out with the club as a taxi-squad player, available to be added if needed, but MLB rules limit taxi-squad players to 48 hours, so he returned to Tacoma.
Worth noting
• Center fielder Jarrod Dyson will be eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list on Sunday, but it appears that return might be delayed a few more days by his right groin strain.
"He is moving around better," Servais said. "He was out in the outfield yesterday during BP. He still feels it a little bit, but he is moving better. The timing on when he'll be activated, we don't have a definite date yet. We're getting close to Sept. 1, so there is all that [roster] juggling we need to take care of, and he does need to be 100 percent before he goes out there."