Off Topic » The Seattle Mariners are trying to juggle

their present and future.Left-hander Marco Gonzales Marcus Stroman Jersey , who has a team-leading 12 victories, was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday against Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his turn through the rotation was skipped to give him extra rest.He is set to return Wednesday afternoon when the Mariners play host to the Houston Astros in the finale of a three-game series.Article continues below ...The Mariners remain in the American League West race and are battling for one of the two wild-card berths, but also realize Gonzales is likely to have a prominent role beyond 2018.Though Gonzales is 12-8 with a 3.91 ERA, he’s 0-3 with a 7.94 ERA in his three starts this month. Plus http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-devon-travis-jersey , he’s already pitched 142 2/3 innings after throwing 40 in 2017. He had Tommy John surgery in 2016.“The main objective is to have a strong finish and not be crawling across the finish line at the end of the year,” Gonzales told MLB.com. “In that aspect and that lens, I’m taking it as a positive. Obviously I’m a competitor. I take it as a challenge to go out and have a strong start on Wednesday. I’m looking forward to the test.”Mariners manager Scott Servais said the extra rest for Gonzales is “something we’ve talked about for a while now.” “We gave him a pretty good break at the All-Star break. We’ll give him a couple extra days here and then we have some off days coming up, so he’ll get a couple extra days between his next start,” Servais said. “So we have a span of about 20 days where he’ll make three starts instead of four.”Gonzales said he believes his recent struggles have to do with command with his fastball and are not because he’s tiring.But he said he understood the decision to skip a start.“At the end of the day http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-roy-halladay-jersey , we want to win,” he said. “So as far as taking into account what it will take me to get quality starts, I think just resetting some things and coming back with a strong start after a couple days of rest, that’s good for everybody. They have my best interest in mind. I’m not taking this as they don’t believe in me or anything like that. It’s collectively, let’s figure out how we win games late in the year.”Gonzales is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in two career appearances (one start) against the Astros. In the only previous start against them Dalton Pompey Jersey , Gonzales suffered a 9-2 loss April 19 in Houston when he gave up three runs and five hits in 4 2/3 innings. The Astros are scheduled to start right-hander Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.78 ERA). Morton is 3-3 with a 3.16 ERA in seven career starts against Seattle, including 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA in three starts this season.Morton has not had a win since July 31. He allowed four hits and two runs in five innings in his most recent start, a 4-3 loss to Oakland on Friday, a game in which Morton did not get a decision.The Astros got reigning AL MVP Jose Altuve back from the disabled list Tuesday http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-roberto-osuna-jersey , though outfielder George Springer missed his second consecutive game with a sore left quadriceps.Altuve said he was glad to be back after missing 21 games with a sore right knee. It was his first time on the disabled list in his eight-year career.“I’m excited,” Altuve told MLB.com. “This is a great team. I know you guys know I love every single part about this team and the way they play. We’re in first place and most likely we’re going to be in the playoffs, and I have a lot of confidence in my teammates, and I just want to be a part of this.” NEW YORK (AP) — The Mets have signed reliever Arquimedes Caminero and outfielder Rymer Liriano to minor league contracts, adding depth in two areas where New York appeared thin.The team announced the moves Thursday Roberto Alomar Jersey , saying both players were invited to major league spring training.Caminero spent the past two seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. The 31-year-old righty was 1-1 with 11 saves and a 5.79 ERA over 20 games last year before having elbow surgery. He is pitching this offseason in the Dominican Winter League and had thrown five scoreless innings.Caminero had 29 saves and 65 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings for the Yomiuri Giants in 2017. He is 7-5 with a 3.83 ERA in 149 big league games with Pittsburgh, Miami and Seattle.The 27-year-old Liriano is a .220 career hitter with two home runs in 59 major league games with the San Diego Padres and Chicago White Sox. He spent last season in Triple-A, batting a combined .253 with 20 homers, 59 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 102 games for Salt Lake and Colorado Springs in the Pacific Coast League.