Motter went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, two runs and a walk in Monday's 9-0 Cactus League victory over the Rangers.
Motter went deep for the first time this spring with a third-inning blast to center off A.J. Griffin. In his initial exposure to major league pitching last season with the Rays, the 27-year-old utlity man slashed just .188/.290./300 with three doubles, two homers and nine RBI. However, he barely registered a blip on the bases, a notable development considering Motter had swiped 127 bags over five-plus minor league seasons. Motter is currently battling Shawn O'Malley and Mike Freeman for a utility role, with his considerable versatility -- he played every position except catcher and center field last season -- enhancing his appeal. He'll presumably need to demonstrate improvement at the plate to ultimately prevail in the three-man race, and O'Malley (.333/.400./333 over 18 at-bats) has jumped out to an early advantage in that respect. Nevertheless, the Mariners see upside in Motter's past body of work, which includes 27 homers over 215 games at the Triple-A level. "You see it in batting practice," manager Scott Servais said of Motter's punch. "Sometimes with Taylor, it's working into good counts and getting good pitches to hit. He does have sneaky power. You look at him and don't really think it's there, but he can drive the ball."