SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners are hoping for a much more favorable second half of the season than first.

The Mariners will take on the San Francisco Giants in the first of a three-game series at 7:10 p.m. PT on Friday at T-Mobile Park. The M's will enter the series tied for the final American League wild card spot with the Minnesota Twins and 1.5 games behind the Texas Rangers for first place in the American League West.

Seattle entered the first half with legitimate World Series aspirations, which made the result in the first half all the more disappointing.

However, there's reason for the team to be cautiously optimistic toward the second half. For one, the team is coming off the All-Star Break. And although the break isn't a lengthy, it can provide a mental and physical reset that helps prepare the squad for the final 65 games of the regular season.

"It's a reset. It's a break," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Friday at T-Mobile Park. "A chance to reevaluate, a chance to look at things differently and a chance to connect with your family. There's a lot things you can do over that time. But I do think you get to the ballpark here after the break — we had a nice workout last night and a lot of guys came down for that and took advantage. ... That was great to see and now today, it's game day, it's ready to go and I'm excited for what's ahead."

In addition to the physical and mental reset, Seattle will also get progressively more healthy over the next month-and-a-half.

Center fielder Julio Rodriguez is trending towards being activated from the concussion injured list during the current homestand, relievers Carlos Vargas, Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell will all tentatively return by early September (with Vargas set to throw a bullpen July 21) and utility player Brendan Donovan has already begun his rehab assignment.

"You definitely want to get your lineup back, you definitely want to get your bullpen back and we're heading in the right direction with that," Wilson said. "It is great to see (Donovan) starting his rehab today and (Rob Refsnyder) getting a chance pretty soon her to start his and pitchers close behind that. You just have to continue to get those guys ready. ... Getting off on the right foot here tonight in this series here and this homestand will be a big focus for us."

Friday's game against San Francisco will air on Seattle's FOX affiliate, Channel 13, and will be available to be streamed on FOX One.

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