Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Belts first homer

Haniger went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double in Saturday's victory over the Giants.Haniger put the exclamation point on the Mariners' win with a seventh-inning solo shot to provide a four-run cushion. The blast was his first since 2019 -- he missed all of 2020 while recovering from a pair or surgeries. Haniger looks to be back to full health this season as he has started each of Seattle's first three games, going a combined 4-for-13.

Mariners' Mitch Haniger: Gets leadoff assignment in opener

Haniger will start in right field and bat leadoff Thursday against the Giants.Making his first appearance in a regular-season game since June 6, 2019, Haniger heads into Opening Day healthy after spending much of the past one and a half seasons in recovery mode from a sports hernia surgery and a microdiscectomy. The latter procedure in particular warrants some justifiable concern about Haniger's durability over a 162-game schedule, but while he's available, he's expected to serve as a full-time leadoff hitter for Seattle. The 30-year-old showed little rust during the Cactus League slate, finishing the spring with an .818 OPS over 47 at-bats.