Manager takes Jack Wilson to task | Mariners notebook

Mariners second baseman Jack Wilson found himself chained to both the bench and his manager's doghouse for the home opener.

Manager Eric Wedge was critical of Wilson pregame, saying the second baseman had pulled himself out of Wednesday's contest in Texas and then seemed to imply to reporters that the coaching staff had made the move. Wilson committed two errors that potentially cost his team three runs in the second inning of that game, then did not return to the field afterward.

Later, he told reporters the coaching staff spoke to him between innings and that he was pulled because they preferred to go with a more experienced player at second base. At the time, Wilson said he agreed with the move because he was hurting the team and should not have been in the game at that point.

But Wedge said that was not the case.

"I tried to protect Jack by saying he was a little bit hazy, and then he made mention of the fact that I took him out of the game," Wedge said. "I did not take him out of the game. He took himself out of the game. (Bench coach) Robby Thompson and I were underneath there and wanted him to go back out. Wanted to convince him to go back out. He didn't think he could do that, and ultimately we had to make a change."

Wedge was asked what he thought about Wilson taking himself out.

"It's unspeakable," he said.

Wedge wouldn't comment further when asked about how this impacts Wilson's future with the club. Adam Kennedy started Friday's game at second base.

After playing shortstop his entire career, it was announced in the final 10 days of spring training that Wilson would move to second. He played well the first five games — turning an incredible double play single-handedly in one contest — then made the two errors on relatively routine plays.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said it's up to Wedge what to do with Wilson.

"He's the manager, he's in charge," Zduriencik said of Wedge. "I support my manager in how he's handling things."

Wilson told reporters that the decision to leave the game was his alone.

"No one wants to take themselves out of the game. Especially me," he said. "I haven't been able to play a lot of baseball in the last year or so. I want to be out there 100 percent, but not if it's going to cost us anything. It's a pretty tough pill to swallow, but at that point, I knew it was the right thing for me to do."

Moore set for surgery; Gimenez comes up

Adam Moore, who was hobbling on crutches in the clubhouse before Friday's game, said he'll undergo surgery Tuesday to repair the torn medial meniscus in his right knee.

The team placed Moore on the 60-day disabled list and added Chris Gimenez from Class AAA to replace him as the backup catcher. Wedge said the versatility of Gimenez, whom he managed in Cleveland, played into the decision to bring him up instead of Josh Bard. Besides catching, Gimenez can play the corner infield and outfield spots.

Notes

• Franklin Gutierrez played three innings of an extended spring-training game in Arizona on Friday as he battles back from a stomach ailment that sidelined him much of the past month.

• The Mariners have flip-flopped Felix Hernandez — who turned 25 on Friday — and Michael Pineda in the rotation. Hernandez will now pitch on Monday against Toronto in order to stay on his normal five-day schedule, while Pineda goes Tuesday.

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com