Seager feeling better at plate after slow start

SEATTLE -- Even though the Mariners are off to one of their best starts in recent years, Kyle Seager hasn't chipped in much yet with the bat. But manager Lloyd McClendon said the 26-year-old third baseman is the least of his worries.

Seager was hitting .158 going into Wednesday's game with the Angels, but he doubled and walked three times in four plate appearances in Tuesday's 5-3 victory and said things are coming together at the plate.

"Things are starting to feel better," Seager said. "I've been seeing the ball a little better the last couple days. I'll try to keep it going."

The young third baseman has been one of the Mariners' most consistent players since getting called up in 2011. He hit .259 and .260 the past two years with 20 and 22 home runs. He led the club with 86 RBIs in 2012 and had 69 last year, with a .423 slugging percentage in 2012 and .426 in '13.

So despite Seager's .191 batting average in Spring Training and his slow first week in the regular season, McClendon remains unconcerned.

"He's a pro," McClendon said. "He's proven it and it's in the books. I really didn't worry about him in Spring Training. I just wanted to make sure he got his work in. If I've got to worry about Kyle Seager, then I'm in trouble, I probably need to quit this job."

McClendon said he admired Seager's play from the opposite dugout the past few years as the Tigers' hitting instructor.

"I noticed him right away. He had quality at-bats," McClendon said. "He hung in there against left-handers, caught the ball at third. He's just a solid baseball player that you tend to notice. He's very professional, very regimented. He knows what he's doing and what he needs to do to get ready. And that's pretty impressive for a young player. He's not afraid of work and he's thirsty for knowledge. The combination of all those things make him pretty good."