Seattle Mariners' first baseman Justin Smoak is expected to return to the team on Tuesday, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com:
Justin Smoak Returning To Mariners On Tuesday
In other news, it appears first baseman Justin Smoak probably won’t rejoin the team until Tuesday in Detroit at the earliest. The club has made no announcement, but his father’s funeral is Saturday in North Charleston, S.C., and the Mariners have a day game Sunday in Seattle followed by an off day Monday.Smoak was placed on the list after the passing of father, who was stricken with lung cancer. Johns provides a link to a touching story about Smoak’s relationship with his father.
Smoak, acquired in the trade that sent Cliff Lee to the Texas Rangers, was off to a good start for the Mariners. He started his major league career slowly last season, hitting only .218/.307/.371 last year, but his .291/.403/.491 start to 2011 gives Mariner fans hope that his major league production will catch up to the stellar numbers he posted in the minor leagues.
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