Just got done talking to Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu, who met with both former Angels players, Casey Kotchman and Chone Figgins, to advise them of the moves that were being made today.

In Kotchman's case, he won't be playing much now that Mike Carp is here. Carp is today's starting first baseman, batting fifth.

"Right now, we're going to give him an opportunity to play,'' Wakamatsu said of Carp. "I brought Casey in and we talked. It gives Casey a chance to maybe work on some things and continue to try to get his swing to where he feels comfortable with it. But right now, we're giving Carp an opportunity to play.''

As for Figgins, he did not seem overjoyed by the move.

When a reporter said to him, "You've been on quite a hot streak lately. Figgins replied: "Apparently not.''

Wakamatsu also met with Figgins to tell him he was being dropping to No. 9 in the order, a position he hasn't hit out of since 2007. There wasn't much room for debate in the discussion -- it was Figgins being told what was going to happen.

Afterwards, Figgins seemed reluctant to discuss the move in-detail with reporters.

"Talk to him first, then come talk to me,'' Figgins said of Wakamatsu.

Figgins isn't going to approach the No. 9 spot the way he would the leadoff role, even though Ichiro is going to be hitting behind him on occasion. He was asked whether the move meant he'll feel free to swing more.

"Yeah, I'll be swinging, you can bet that,'' he said.

Incidentally, by the time the media was able to talk to Wakamatsu about the move, Figgins had already gone out for batting practice.

Wakamatsu was quick to say the move wasn't all about Figgins. More about getting the offense to better perform up and down the order.

"Just offensively, we've played 56 games or so and we're looking to change things up again,'' Wakamatsu said. "We've had some stretches where we've swung the bat pretty good. Figgy's swung the bat better lately. He's going to continue to work on it, he's a great player and he's going to end up having decent numbers when it's all said and done. But I think we're looking at it more to maybe try to get Milton (Bradley) in that No. 2 hole, or give him more at-bats and see if we can't get him going. And that still puts us where we have two leadoff men back-to-back.

"So, it's a broader picture than him just hitting ninth. Again, he's swung the bat pretty good lately. And this is something where we just want to switch it up a bit.''

Bottom line: the Mariners need run production and are going to try to get it any way they can.

"We have to score enough runs to win ballgames,'' Wakamatsu said. "We haven't done that.''

Mike Sweeney stayed behind in Seattle to get treatment for his back. It's interesting that with the M's now entering a series that could end any realistic playoff hopes they have, they are doing so without Sweeney or Ken Griffey Jr., their two veteran leaders from last season and earlier this year.

Jack Wilson is to get five to seven innings of playing time tonight for Class AAA Tacoma, then will be a DH tomorrow.

Adam Moore caught four innings of a simulated game in Arizona today. He'll be a DH tomorrow, then go to AAA mid-week if all goes well.