M's Notebook | Guardado back at Safeco Field

Ken Griffey Jr. wasn't the only former Mariner making a celebrated return on Friday.

The biggest hit of Seattle's pregame batting practice wasn't a home run — not even the one Richie Sexson pinged with an aluminum bat. It was former Seattle reliever Eddie Guardado, who was overjoyed to hold court and exchange a few laughs with his ex-teammates.

Guardado was back at Safeco Field for the first time since the Mariners traded him to the Cincinnati Reds last July. Standing alone in the visitors' dugout before the game, a Mariners player bounced a baseball in Guardado's direction, narrowly missing the 36-year-old pitcher.

Then it was on. Guardado bounded from the dugout to exchange, hugs, handshakes and memories with former teammates Willie Bloomquist, Adrian Beltre, Raul Ibanez, Yuniesky Betancourt and Jose Lopez.

"Oh man, I'm just me," Guardado said. "I like to smile and have fun. Great bunch of guys over there."

The emergence of J.J. Putz, now one of the game's top closers, made Guardado expendable last season. Early season struggles cost him his closer's job to Putz, and he wasn't happy with his role as a setup man despite manager Mike Hargrove maintaining at the time that the closer's job still belonged to Guardado while he was trying to get right.

Guardado spent 2-½ years with the Mariners, saving 36 games in 2005. He said he had no real mixed feelings about the way he left Seattle.

"You never let the business of baseball interfere with how you feel about things," Guardado said. "That's what I do. The team, they treated me good here. I had a good 2-½ years here. I can't complain."

Guardado couldn't pitch last night and won't appear against his former team. He has been on the disabled list all season while recovering from Tommy John surgery on his left (pitching) elbow last September. Lower back stiffness is delaying his return, but Guardado said he feels he's about 2-½ weeks away from returning to the pitcher's mound in a major-league game. He has made seven rehabilitation appearances in the minors.

Guardado admitted he wanted badly to be able to pitch at Safeco Field against his old team and might have tried to speed up his rehabilitation to do so. He takes pride in having been a mentor to up-and-coming pitchers like Putz.

"I tried to show the younger guys the way it's supposed to be," Guardado said. "How to approach things, how to handle yourself as a person ... J.J. always calls me up and tells me thanks. I say 'You did it.' And he says 'Well, I had good guidance.' And I appreciate that.

"That's what it's about. That's what I like, that guys like J.J. do remember me."

Baek to disabled list

The Mariners placed right-hander Cha Seung Baek on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder.

The move was retroactive to June 17. The team recalled left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith from Class AAA Tacoma to take Baek's spot on the roster.

Baek, a starter, is 3-3 with a 5.74 earned-run average. Rowland-Smith has been up with the Mariners once before this season (May 11-15) but did not pitch in a game. He is 3-4 with one save and a 3.86 earned-run average at Tacoma.

Hargrove said Baek's soreness was ongoing, but that the team only recently learned about it. Rowland-Smith gives Seattle another left-handed option in the bullpen, the manager added.

Note

• LHP Horacio Ramirez threw his third bullpen session (60-70 pitches) since going on the DL on May 25 with left shoulder soreness. He said he isn't sure when he will be back, though he isn't feeling any pain.

For the record

Streak: L1

Home: 19-15

Road: 18-18

vs. AL West: 12-10

vs. L.A.: 2-7

vs. Oakland: 4-1

vs. Texas: 6-2

vs. AL East: 9-7

vs. AL Central: 9-7

vs. NL: 7-9

vs. LHP: 14-6

vs. RHP: 23-27

Day: 10-11

Night: 27-22

One-run: 10-9

Extra innings: 2-0

Home attendance

Friday's crowd: 46,340

Season total: 994,820

Biggest crowd: 46,340 (June 22)

Smallest crowd: 16,555 (May 2)

Average (34 dates): 29,259

2006 average (34 dates): 26,098