Worth noting

• Michael Morse went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts in his fourth rehab game with Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday and will likely need a few more outings before he rejoins the Mariners, according to acting manager Robby Thompson.

"He got through it fine," Thompson said of Morse's first full game in the outfield. "He just needs more at-bats. He was out six weeks. He has about 12 to 14 at-bats, he needs 10 or 12 more."

Thompson said it's possible Morse will be ready to join the club for the upcoming road trip starting Tuesday in Boston. The big right fielder has been sidelined since June 22 with a strained right quadriceps.

• Top Mariners pitching prospect Taijuan Walker had his first rough outing with Tacoma on Thursday, giving up five runs and six hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in five innings against Tucson. Walker's ERA is now 2.42 after five starts in Triple-A.

• Danny Hultzen, the Mariners other premier pitching prospect, played catch at 60 feet in the outfield under the watch of pitching coach Carl Willis and the training staff on Thursday at Safeco Field as he began working his way back from a shoulder issue that has sidelined him much of the past two months.

Trainer Rick Griffin said Hultzen is working on some slight changes to his motion, with the hope it will alleviate stress that has been causing the problems. There is no timetable on a possible return this season for the 2011 first-round Draft pick.