Dustin Ackley will make his major league debut with the Seattle Mariners, and will do so from the bottom-third of the order. Manager Eric Wedge just released his lineup and Ackley will get the start at 2B in the first game since he was activated to the Mariners roster following his stint with the Tacoma Rainiers. Understandably, there's been a significant amount of hype about Ackley's debut, with fans expecting big things from the No. 2 pick in the 2009 MLB Draft.
Here is Friday night's lineup, courtesy of Greg Johns. The Mariners battle the Philadelphia Phillies just after 7 p.m. on Friday night.
Mariners lineup: Ichiro RF, Ryan SS, Kennedy DH, SMoak 1B, Peguero LF, Olivo C, Ackley 2B, Figgins 3B, Gutierrez CF.
It's an interesting lineup, with Ackley "protected" by Chone Figgins and Franklin Gutierrez bringing up the rear. The common school of thought is that Ackley may end-up as the No. 2 hitter at some point, but Friday night appears to be a chance to ease him into the lineup. After all, the Mariners are facing the best rotation in baseball and expectations are high for Ackley.
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