Mariners seek to develop Romero vs. lefties

SEATTLE -- Rookie Stefen Romero started in right field while batting seventh on Friday, which has become the norm when Seattle goes against left-handed starters. The Mariners opened their series against the Athletics versus a southpaw in Tommy Milone, who was making his season debut after his scheduled start last week against Seattle was postponed when Oakland's O.co Coliseum received an overnight rainstorm that left the field soggy and unplayable.

Manager Lloyd McClendon said Romero had impressed him during spot starts against left-handed pitching.

"If he gets three, four home runs tonight, he'll be great," McClendon quipped. "He had a great spring; we need right-handed balance in our lineup, and he provides that. I think he's going to be a fine Major League player. He just needs to get his at-bats and get his time out there. This young man can play the game, and I think he'll be an impactful type of player for us this year."

In 2012, Romero was named the organization's Minor League Player of the Year when he hit .352 with 23 home runs, 101 RBI's and 85 runs scored in 116 games between Class A Advanced High Desert and Double-A Jackson. That was as an infielder. Romero's first career appearance in right field came this year in Spring Training.

"Nothing can compare to live reads off the bat," Romero said. "Even BP is not the same because the guy's throwing 45 miles per hour, so especially in a game it's so much faster. The biggest transition is just [learning] game situations."