Ichiro dropped to second in batting order

Mariners skipper Eric Wedge is shaking things up a little today in his lineup, moving Dustin Ackley up to the leadoff spot and dropping Ichiro to No. 2 in the order.

This will be the first time Ichiro has ever started a game batting second. He has come into games as a pinch hitter and hit second in the order twice in his career, but never begun a game in that position.

What does it mean? We’ll talk to Wedge in a bit, but first blush is he’s trying to get Ackley going again after a tough stretch for the young second baseman.

And Ichiro could probably use a different approach as well as he’s on an 0-for-20 skid that has dropped him to .258 for the season. Ichiro has only gone hitless for 20-plus at-bats three different times in his 12-year career … and two of those now are in the past five weeks.

Here’s tonight’s full lineup:

Dustin Ackley 2B
Ichiro Suzuki RF
Michael Saunders CF
John Jaso C
Kyle Seager 3B
Casper Wells LF
Justin Smoak 1B
Carlos Peguero DH
Brendan Ryan SS

Jason Vargas P