PITTSBURGH — Shed Long is batting first and playing second in the Mariners’ series finale Thursday against the Pirates at PNC Park.
And there is at least a decent possibility that that is how Long opens the 2020 season — as Seattle’s regular leadoff hitter and second baseman.
Certainly there will be a lot to shakeout in the offseason, but Long is looking more and more like a capable bat at the top of the lineup.
“I feel good there,” Long said this week. “It gives me a lot of confidence knowing that they trust me to be at the top of the lineup, to be the tone-setter to open the game, you know.