Mariners Place Randy Arozarena On Injured List
8:14pm: Seattle has officially announced all three moves: Arozarena’s retroactive IL placement, Washington’s selection, and Wilson’s transfer to the 60-day injured list. Wilson has been out since late April with a broken left thumb. According to the MLB.com injury tracker, he was recently pulled from a rehab assignment with continued pain and is weighing season-ending surgery.
7:51pm: The Mariners are placing Randy Arozarena on the 10-day injured list, reports Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. Seattle’s left fielder hasn’t played since Friday due to left hamstring tightness, so it’ll be a retroactive placement to June 13.
Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports that the Mariners expect it to be a minimal IL stay. Arozarena is dealing with a mild strain that would’ve left him unavailable for the next few days. A team can only backdate an IL placement by a maximum of three days, so Seattle opted for the IL stint tonight rather than waiting a few days and risk shelving Arozarena beyond the next week.
A roster quirk will lead to the first big league call for 26-year-old outfielder Curtis Washington Jr., Divish reports. He’ll be selected onto the MLB roster and be available for tonight’s game against the Orioles. Washington is playing with High-A Everett, which is about 30 miles outside Seattle. The team’s Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers, are on the road this week for a series in Salt Lake. Washington can make the quick drive to T-Mobile Park. The M’s will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster but can do so by transferring infielder Will Wilson to the 60-day injured list.
Washington, a Purdue product, is a former 19th round pick. He’s hitting .190 over 44 games in High-A this season. He’ll surely be designated for assignment or outrighted this week but will collect a major league salary for a day while joining an MLB clubhouse. If tonight’s game is a blowout in either direction, maybe Dan Wilson can get him in as a pinch-hitter or defensive substitute and etch his name into an MLB box score.
Jude notes that outfielder Connor Joe was pulled from Tacoma’s lineup and will head to Seattle for tomorrow’s game. Joe is already on the 40-man and has appeared in 18 big league games this season. He’ll fill in as a right-handed bench bat with Victor Robles likely to replace Arozarena in left field for the next week. Josh Naylor and Luke Raley are also day-to-day, which pushed Miles Mastrobuoni and Rob Refsnyder into tonight’s lineup against Baltimore righty Brandon Young. Dan Wilson will likely only have backup catcher Mitch Garver and Washington Jr. available off the bench today.
In one other lineup note, today’s game officially marks J.P. Crawford’s first appearance as Seattle’s third baseman. The longtime shortstop was activated from a minimal 10-day injured list stint due to a right hand injury. He’s leading off and manning the hot corner, his first action there since the 2018 season with Philadelphia.
The Mariners had telegraphed the position change, as Crawford has been working out at third base for the past month. It’s to the former Gold Glove winner’s credit that he’s not only on board but actively approached the team about the possibility. Rookie Colt Emerson is the franchise’s long-term shortstop, so Crawford sought to expand his versatility in advance of his first trip to free agency. That allows Emerson to stay at his natural position while potentially making a case for the front office to bring Crawford back on a multi-year deal in the offseason.
Mariners Notes: Raleigh, Crawford, Arozarena, Munoz, Naylor
The Mariners open up a six-game homestand on Tuesday, and two key names figure to be returning from the 10-day injured list. Manager Dan Wilson told the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude and other reporters that catcher Cal Raleigh should be activated depending on how Raleigh feels after playing today in the fifth game of his minor league rehab assignment. J.P. Crawford also expects to be activated after a minimal 10-day stint due to a bruised hand.
Assuming Raleigh is ready to go, it’ll mark almost exactly one month since an oblique strain sent the slugger to the IL back on May 14. Raleigh tried to play through the discomfort for a couple of weeks before going onto the injured list, which partially explains his dismal early numbers. After a 60-homer season in 2025 that almost won him AL MVP honors, Raleigh was hitting only .161/.243/.317 with seven home runs over his first 181 plate appearances of the 2026 campaign.
As Jude noted, the Mariners actually went on a hot streak with Raleigh sidelined, and the M’s are now up to a 37-36 record that puts them atop the inconsistent AL West. If the IL stint acts as a reset to Raleigh’s season, the Mariners will only benefit by having an in-form slugger back in the heart of their lineup.
Crawford rebounded from a slow start to become one of Seattle’s hottest bats in the month leading up to his hand injury, which was caused after he was hit by a Framber Valdez pitch on June 5. The IL stint also delayed plans to move Crawford to third base to accommodate Colt Emerson at the shortstop position, and Crawford has been working diligently at the hot corner during his rehab process. Jude wrote that Crawford played exclusively as a third baseman during pregame infield drills over the previous three days, so Tuesday could mark Crawford’s first MLB game at third base since 2018.
Randy Arozarena is another player to watch for Tuesday, as the outfielder hasn’t played since making an early exit from Friday’s game due to left hamstring tightness. The injury isn’t considered to be particularly serious, so between Arozarena’s weekend off and Seattle’s off-day on Monday, the hope is that he’ll be fully healed for the start of the Guardians series.
Amidst all of this good health news, however, were a couple more injury scares coming out of Sunday’s 10-1 loss to the Nationals. Josh Naylor left the game in the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his right shin, and reliever Andres Munoz left in the eighth inning due to back tightness.
Both injuries may be less serious than they appeared at first glance. Wilson told the media that x-rays were negative on Naylor’s shin, and the first baseman told Jude and company that he was “doing all right.” Likewise, Munoz told MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer and other reporters that his back issue is “nothing to worry about,” and Wilson described Munoz’s situation as day-to-day.
Munoz normally wouldn’t have been called upon for mop-up work in a blowout, but the closer hadn’t pitched since April 8 and today marked only Munoz’s fourth outing in June. The lack of usage has been more to do with game situations, though Munoz’s usually elite form has taken a dip. A huge increase in hard-contact numbers and a spike in homers has resulted in a 5.92 ERA over 24 1/3 innings for Munoz, though his strikeout rate is still superb and he is posting his lowest walk rate since 2022.
Mariners Place J.P. Crawford On 10-Day IL
The Mariners have placed shortstop J.P. Crawford on the 10-day injured list, three days after a hit-by-pitch forced him from the game. They’re calling the injury a right hand contusion. In Crawford’s place, Seattle has recalled infielder Ryan Bliss from Triple-A Tacoma.
It’s a poorly timed injury for the Mariners, as Crawford’s recent play has played a big role in Seattle’s climb to the top of the AL West. Dating back to late April, the veteran shortstop has slashed .258/.366/.500 with nine homers, a pair of doubles and a 12.7% walk rate in 142 trips to the plate. He’s done so while handling shortstop duties on a near-daily basis, though Crawford recently volunteered to begin working out at the hot corner and could slide over to third base as a means of opening more shortstop work for top prospect Colt Emerson. Crawford is a free agent at season’s end, whereas Emerson is viewed as the shortstop of the future.
Overall, Crawford is hitting .228/.356/.409 this season. By measure of wRC+, he’s been about 26% better than average — thanks largely to that hearty on-base percentage. His glovework at shortstop no longer grades plus (or even average), which is also partly why he’s been tinkering with a move to third base.
With Crawford sidelined, Emerson figures to handle shortstop for at least the next week. He’s gotten out to a .242/.319/.548 slash with four homers through his first 69 trips to the plate at the major league level. Since Brendan Donovan is on the shelf again — and has been since May 15 due to a groin strain — third base reps will fall primarily to Patrick Wisdom and Bliss for the time being. Bliss has been more of a second baseman in his career, but he’s played 56 innings at the hot corner in Tacoma recently.
It’s an unenviable spot for now, but since Crawford’s injury doesn’t seem too severe, the Mariners can hope they’re not that far from having a healthy Donovan, Crawford and Emerson to man the left side of the infield in some capacity. Donovan could always shift to the outfield corners or second base at some point, too, but the Mariners have gotten good production from Randy Arozarena in left field, Luke Raley in right (against righties anyhow), Cole Young at second base and Dominic Canzone at designated hitter. The exact alignment will be determined by the overall health of the roster, but Seattle has quality hitters at just about every position if they can get everyone on the active roster at the same time.
Mariners Notes: Crawford, Rotation, Castillo
J.P. Crawford has been a key part of the Mariners’ lineup since joining the club in 2019. In over 3,800 plate appearances with Seattle, Crawford has batted .248/.341/.369 with a 107 wRC+ while providing serviceable defense at shortstop, including 9 Defensive Runs Saved as recently as 2024. That said, the recently extended Colt Emerson is Seattle’s shortstop of the future, and Crawford, in his final season of club control, has volunteered to play third base to accommodate Emerson.
Crawford’s willingness to play the hot corner will add to his value in free agency, and it may also help his chances of returning to the Mariners. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that Crawford’s agent met with general manager Justin Hollander following Crawford’s asking to try third base, reiterating the latter’s desire to stay in Seattle. Hollander indicated a Crawford reunion is “absolutely” possible. “Obviously we’ll talk about it after the season and see how it goes. But he wants to be here and there’s definitely a place for him,” Hollander said of Crawford.
Those comments are not surprising for a general manager speaking of a long-tenured and well-liked player. That said, Crawford’s willingness to move positions and positive clubhouse reputation make the third base experiment worth exploring before he reaches free agency. Crawford’s work at short has been poor since the start of 2025, adding up to -9 DRS and -19 Outs Above Average. He has 174 2/3 innings of big league experience at third, all coming with the Phillies from 2017-18. To his credit, Crawford was worth 7 DRS and 3 OAA in that sample.
Of course, that’s a small sample from eight years ago. In contrast, a look at Crawford’s Statcast page gives reason for pessimism. His range is in the first percentile, while his arm strength 77.5 MPH arm strength in 2026 falls in just the 17th percentile. In terms of lateral moves, Crawford has been worth -10 OAA since the start of 2025 when moving toward third base. When moving toward first base, that improves slightly to -4 OAA. Playing third base would result in more lateral moves toward first, which could theoretically help to optimize Crawford’s defense as he plays deeper into his 30s.
Time will tell how Crawford fares defensively at the hot corner. In any case, a reunion might help the team’s offense and overall defensive flexibility. Crawford has put up a 114 wRC+ in 180 plate appearances this year. Despite a .204 batting average, he remains a productive hitter thanks to his ability to draw walks, doing so at least 11.3% of the time in every season since 2022. The M’s also have Brendan Donovan under club control through 2027. Donovan has exclusively played third this year but also has experience at second and in left. Retaining Crawford to play third would allow Donovan to be used as a super-utility player while ensuring plenty of at-bats for those two and Emerson.
Turning to the pitching staff, the Mariners’ rotation is in a bit of a crunch with Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller, and Emerson Hancock all performing well. Although Miller had a 5.68 ERA last year and missed the first month and a half of 2026 with an oblique strain, he posted a 3.52 ERA with a strong 17.6% strikeout to walk differential from 2023-24. Going forward, Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times opine that the Mariners’ best path forward is Miller in the rotation and Luis Castillo in the bullpen full-time.
Castillo made his first career appearance as a reliever on Tuesday, allowing two earned runs in 2 1/3 innings against the White Sox while striking out four. He’s been a reliable starter since joining Seattle midway through the 2022 season, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case in 2026. Castillo has a 6.34 ERA in 44 innings as a starter, and that’s not the result of one or two blow-ups. He’s allowed four earned runs or more on four separate occasions, and he’s only once completed six innings. Castillo has had some bad luck, as evidenced by a .346 opponents’ average on balls in play, but he’s also getting groundballs at a career-low 35.2% rate.
Castillo’s four-seamer had a run value of +11 last year, according to Statcast. While it hasn’t been as effective in 2026, the pitch is still getting 1.8 inches of horizontal break above league average. As a reliever, Castillo could take advantage of that movement by throwing the four-seamer more often, without having to face hitters multiple times. Then, if one of the starters goes down with an injury, Castillo could slot back into the rotation and revert to his old pitch mix.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
J.P. Crawford Getting Work At Third Base
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford has been getting work at the hot corner and was taking grounders there prior to today’s game. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com was among those to report that the idea was actually brought up by Crawford, who approached manager Dan Wilson about the possibility this weekend. Crawford’s agent subsequently ran it by general manager Justin Hollander. All parties seem to be on board with seeing what it might look like.
Crawford’s openness to sliding off shortstop comes in conjunction with top prospect Colt Emerson reaching the majors. Seattle inked the 20-year-old to a record-setting eight-year, $95MM contract before he took a single plate appearance in the majors. Emerson made his big league debut earlier this week and promptly deposited a ball over the right field fence, making his first big league hit a three-run big fly. The 2023 first-rounder (No. 22 overall) is currently the third-ranked prospect in the entire game, per Baseball America.
Emerson has played both third base and shortstop in his first three big league games, but he’s spent the overwhelming majority of his career at shortstop (2074 innings, compared to 175 at third base). The Mariners surely envision him as their shortstop of the future — particularly with Crawford set to become a free agent at season’s end.
From Crawford’s vantage point, the experiment makes good sense. It’s a team-first approach in the short term, allowing Emerson to perhaps claim the spot the Mariners hope him to occupy well into the 2030s, but it also expands his own defensive versatility ahead of his first trip to the open market. Crawford’s defensive grades have declined in recent years, particularly over the past season-plus. If he can grade out more effectively at the hot corner, that’ll only make him more appealing while Emerson acclimates to the majors at his natural position.
Third base isn’t entirely new for Crawford, but it’s been quite some time since he logged any game action there. He has 174 innings at the position in his career, all coming in 2017-18 with the Phillies — the team that originally drafted him. He has another 78 minor league innings at the position.
While there’s some current opportunity to test things out, a more permanent move to third base might not be a possibility for Crawford just yet. The Mariners placed Brendan Donovan on the 10-day IL due to a groin strain this week. He’ll be shut down entirely for two to three weeks before resuming baseball activity. It doesn’t seem he’s ticketed for an especially long-term absence.
A healthy Donovan could slot right back in at third base, but he’s also comfortable playing second base and the outfield corners. Cole Young has been fine at second base but hasn’t exactly seized the position with a dominant performance. Outfield/DH options like Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley have quality season-long numbers but have begun to cool after blistering starts to the 2026 campaign. Time will tell how all of them are faring in a few weeks, but there are certainly scenarios where Donovan factors in at a position other than third base — the only position he’s played so far in 2026.
Crawford, 31, is in the final season of a five-year, $51MM contract. He missed time early on due to a shoulder injury and has been slowed recently by a triceps issue that doesn’t seem like it’ll send him to the injured list. He was originally slated to play shortstop and lead off for Seattle, but the Mariners scratched him a couple hours before first pitch. He’s turned in a tepid .210 batting average but has ridden a career-best 16.5% walk rate to a big .358 on-base percentage.
This year’s uncommonly low average is due primarily to a .220 average on balls in play that’s about 70 points shy of league average and Crawford’s own career .293 mark. He’s actually striking out less than ever (and less often than he walks), at a 15.9% rate. Crawford’s batted-ball metrics and bat speed are right in line with his typical levels. Statcast credits him for an expected .256 batting average and .418 slugging percentage, suggesting better days at the plate might not be all that far off.
AL West Notes: Donovan, Joyce, Crawford
Mariners utilityman Brendan Donovan left last night’s game with an apparent leg injury in the seventh inning. Facing Angels left-hander Reid Detmers, Donovan hit a grounder to second base that he attempted to beat out for an infield hit. He landed awkwardly on the bag with his left leg, and he was replaced by Leo Rivas on defense in the bottom half of the inning. Donovan has soreness in his groin region, per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. Divish added in a separate post that imaging came back clean.
Donovan has gotten off to a hot start in 2026, batting .370/.485/.667 across his first 33 plate appearances. Defensively, he has played all eight of his games at third base, though he’ll inevitably spend time around the diamond as the season goes on. The club recently signed infield prospect Colt Emerson to a record extension, and they will reportedly play him at third base when he gets called up. That said, the club immediately optioned him after signing the deal, so he can get more seasoning in the upper minors. A short-term Donovan absence wouldn’t change that plan, leaving Rivas as the likeliest candidate to fill in if needed.
A few other updates from around the division:
- Emerson’s extension happens to align with the end of shortstop J.P. Crawford‘s contract. The veteran is in the final year of the five-year, $51MM extension he inked in 2022. Crawford missed the first week of the season with a shoulder injury. Seattle did not opt to give Emerson the role while Crawford was sidelined, but he appears to be the heir apparent at the position. The incumbent is taking it in stride, though. “I congratulated him, wishing him nothing but the best,” Crawford told Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. “And he’s going to come up here and help us win ballgames. And that’s what we want at the end of the day, is to go win the World Series — and he will for sure help us do that. So I can’t wait to get him up here.” Crawford seemed to acknowledge his impending departure, calling 2026 the biggest year of his career.”I have the chance to make some money if I play well, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
- Angels reliever Ben Joyce is currently on the mend from May 2025 shoulder surgery, and Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune reports that Joyce is throwing normal bullpen sessions without issue. However, it is unknown when he will start facing live hitters. Joyce is well known for his triple-digit fastball velocity, but his impact in the majors has been limited by injuries. The 2022 third-round draft pick has thrown 49 big-league innings from 2023-25 with a 3.12 ERA, a 21.0% strikeout rate, and an 11.4% walk rate. He had a 2.08 ERA and a massive 58.9% groundball rate in 2024, but he was less impressive in limited samples in the other two years. Joyce is expected back relatively early in the season, though he’ll need a rehab assignment after such a long layoff.
- Astros reliever Enyel De Los Santos is nearing a big-league return. The right-hander made consecutive Double-A appearances on Thursday and Friday. Manager Joe Espada called De Los Santos “close” to rejoining the Astros, relayed by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. As Kawahara notes, getting De Los Santos back in the mix could create a difficult roster decision for Houston. Cody Bolton and Roddery Munoz are out of options. Bryan King, Ryan Weiss, Kai-Wei Teng, Steven Okert, and AJ Blubaugh are off to solid starts. Bryan Abreu obviously isn’t going anywhere. De Los Santos himself is out of options. The Astros also plan to go with a six-man rotation soon, which would trim down another reliever. That tweak could be Weiss moving into the rotation.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
Mariners Notes: Crawford, Emerson, Shortstop
The Mariners recently signed a record extension with infield prospect Colt Emerson. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke to members of the media in the wake of that deal. Per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, Dipoto said that J.P. Crawford will remain the club’s shortstop this year. If Emerson is recalled to the active roster at some point, he will likely play third base, which will bump Brendan Donovan into a utility role.
Though the Mariners signed Emerson to that long-term deal, they immediately optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma. That’s an unprecedented sequence of events but it also has some logic to it. Emerson is 20 years old and only has ten Triple-A games under his belt so far. The Mariners clearly believe in his long-term future but he is still a prospect and they will have to make the choices that they feel are in the best interest of his development.
They also have a fairly crowded infield at the moment. Crawford started the season in the injured list due to some shoulder inflammation but he was reinstated today. Fellow infielder Ryan Bliss was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma as the corresponding move. Crawford will retake his shortstop position with Cole Young at second and Donovan at third.
Perhaps Emerson will force his way onto the roster at some point via his bat, since his offense is his true calling card. He went from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A last year, slashing .285/.383/.458 along the way. His 11.8% walk rate and 17.5% strikeout rate were both a few ticks better than average and he hit 16 home runs, despite being very young for each level.
His defense has generally been considered a bit behind his offense. He has made strides in recent years and many evaluators think he has a chance to be a serviceable shortstop, but it’s understandable that the Mariners would opt for Crawford for now. Crawford’s defensive reviews are mixed, with Outs Above Average putting him at minus-29 for his career while he’s been credited with five Defensive Runs Saved. Despite that imbalance, he has almost 8,000 big league innings at the position, while Emerson has none and is questionable at the spot for now.
Crawford is slated for free agency after 2026, so perhaps Emerson will get a crack at the shortstop job next year. That is perhaps another reason to keep him in Triple-A for now, as he will have greater ability to continue getting reps at shortstop in the minors. His third base experience is also still fairly limited, so he’ll need to keep working at that spot as well, if that’s his current path to a big league job.
As for Donovan, his potential move is another illustration of why he was such a perfect fit for the Mariners this offseason. His versatility means that he can be moved around the diamond depending on what happens with other guys. Young only hit .211/.302/.305 last year and therefore wasn’t a sure thing at second base, while Emerson seemingly had some small chance to break camp at third.
Young went on to hit .281/.349/.667 in spring and seize the job at the keystone. He has carried that over in the season so far, as he’s currently sporting a .320/.346/.520 line. That pushed Donovan to third base for now, though his outfield experience means Emerson could push him to the grass at some point. That could take playing time away from the Luke Raley, Dominic Canzone, Rob Refsnyder, Víctor Robles group, depending on how things go between now and then.
Dipoto also expressed broad openness to doing more extensions. “I can’t tell you that there’s any likelihood we’ll get anything else done in this season, but it won’t be because we’re not interested,” Dipoto said, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times. “It’s always an open door.” It was recently reported that the Mariners have broached the subject of contract extensions with both Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo, though it doesn’t appear the club got close to an agreement with either pitcher.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
Injury Notes: Crawford, Kerkering, Murphy, Hernández
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford is currently on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, though he is not expected to have a lengthy absence. Indeed, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports that Crawford is with the team today and participated in batting practice. He is also slated for a full infield workout, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. He will remain with the team through the weekend before starting a Triple-A rehab assignment.
The update bodes well for Mariners fans, who will be glad to have their longtime shortstop back in action after just a few weeks. Crawford has generally been healthy since the 2021 season, apart from two missed months in 2024 due to a right oblique strain and a hand fracture. Assuming his rehab goes well, he’ll be on track for another season of 140 or more games. Last year, Crawford posted a 113 wRC+ in 157 games, showing his usual plate discipline with an 11.3% walk rate and an 88th-percentile chase rate. His defense regressed somewhat, but he was viewed positively by Defensive Runs Saved as recently as 2024. Leo Rivas will continue to play short for the Mariners while Crawford recovers.
A few more injury updates from around the league:
- Phillies right-hander Orion Kerkering threw a scoreless inning in his first rehab appearance at Triple-A. The next step is for him to throw in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to manager Rob Thomson (link via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). Kerkering was placed on the 15-day IL three days ago with a right hamstring strain, though he did pitch in minor league games near the end of camp. Judging by that, he should be back at some point in mid-April. Kerkering is coming off a solid 3.30 ERA in 60 relief innings in 2025, albeit with less encouraging peripherals. The late innings are covered by Jhoan Duran, Jose Alvarado, and Brad Keller, so Kerkering will take a middle relief role upon his return.
- Elsewhere in the NL East, Braves catcher Sean Murphy is participating in baseball activities and could start a rehab assignment soon, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The 31-year-old Murphy underwent hip surgery in September, and Bowman previously suggested that Murphy hoped to return some time in May. With last year’s NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin holding down the fort, the team can afford to proceed cautiously with Murphy’s rehab. That could make a late May return the goal for Atlanta. Murphy posted slightly below average offense in 2025, although his defense was excellent as usual. Baldwin, in contrast, was 25% better than average offensively last year, with -2 DRS behind the plate.
- Dodgers utilityman Enrique Hernández took batting practice on the field today. He is also progressing on defense, fielding grounders and making throws according to manager Dave Roberts (link via Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times). Roberts added that he would be “shocked” if Hernández did not return from the 60-day IL as soon as he is eligible on May 24. Hernández didn’t offer much with the bat last year, with a wRC+ of 70. His 5 Outs Above Average showed that his defense was still an asset, and he remains a fan favorite in Los Angeles thanks to his postseason heroics. He is playing on a $4.5MM salary in his 13th big-league season.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
Mariners Place J.P. Crawford On IL; Andrew Knizner Elects Free Agency
The Mariners announced their Opening Day roster, with a few moves of note. Shortstop J.P. Crawford will start the season on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to March 22nd, due to right shoulder inflammation. Seattle also selected the contract of catcher Mitch Garver, a move that was previously reported. Fellow catcher Andrew Knizner cleared waivers and elected free agency, which opened a 40-man spot for Garver.
It doesn’t appear as though Crawford is slated for a lengthy absence. His shoulder has been sore for most of spring training but being healthy for the Opening Day roster seemed possible until recently. Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports that Crawford feels he’ll be back in just a few weeks and that Leo Rivas is likely to man the position in the meantime. Ryan Bliss got a roster spot due to Crawford’s absence and could factor in as well.
On the cathing side of things, the Mariners signed Knizner to a one-year, $1MM deal back in December. It seemed like he would be the backup to Cal Raleigh this year but Garver lingered unsigned into the second half of February, allowing Seattle to bring him back via a minor league deal. Garver didn’t have a great spring, putting up a .192/.290/.346 line, but Knizner’s .172/.226/.207 performance was even worse.
It seems the Mariners quietly put Knizner on waivers a couple of days ago and no one claimed him. Since Knizner has at least five years of major league service time, he has the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while keeping his salary commitments. He’ll be paid $1MM this year regardless. If he signs somewhere else, another club would only have to pay him a prorated league minimum salary of $780K, with that amount subtracted from what the Mariners owe.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
AL West Notes: Pena, Mastrobuoni, Crawford, Neto
Jeremy Pena provided The Athletic’s Chandler Rome with an update on the fingertip fracture that has put Pena’s Opening Day availability in question. The Astros shortstop has been able to partake in most baseball activities, with just throwing and swinging with both hands remaining on the checklist before he can consider a return to game action. Pena has played in four Spring Training games and two World Baseball Classic games with the Dominican Republic, and it remains to be seen how much more prep time he’ll need once he is cleared to play.
“If I get into a game and I feel like my swing is ready to go, then that’s all I need,” Pena said. “For me, it’s a feel thing. Maybe it takes me five games, maybe it takes me three, maybe it takes me one.”
It would appear as though Pena should at least be able to get into some games before the Cactus League is over, even if it remains unclear whether or not he’ll need (what may be a minimal) 10-day injured list stint to begin the season. A fuller re-evaluation of Pena’s status is still a couple of days away, though Rome writes that the shortstop felt good enough to postpone a planned doctor’s appointment.
More from around the AL West…
- Mariners utilityman Miles Mastrobuoni is dealing with a minor calf strain that cut short his participation on Italy’s team in the World Baseball Classic. Mastrobuoni is now back at the Mariners’ camp, and he told the Seattle Times’ Tim Booth that while he doesn’t feel his strain is too serious, he didn’t want to risk further aggravating the injury: “I just really don’t want to deal with this, having it nag throughout the year.” Given the timing, Mastrobuoni (who is out of minor league options) might begin the season on the 10-day injured list to allow him to both fully recover and ramp up for regular-season play.
- Staying in Seattle, J.P. Crawford has been bothered by a sore right shoulder for much of camp, and the shortstop hasn’t played in any of the Mariners‘ last four games. Despite the absence, Crawford isn’t worried about his readiness for Opening Day, telling the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish and other reporters that the team was just being cautious. Since the M’s have a off-day tomorrow, Crawford will get another full day of rest and rehab before making his planned return to Seattle’s lineup on Tuesday.
- The Angels received a scare when Zach Neto picked up a left hand injury while sliding into home plate yesterday, but the shortstop told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group) that tests revealed only a small hand sprain. Neto believes he’ll be back in action after just a few days. A critical piece of the Halos’ lineup, Neto has hit .253/.318/.458 with 49 homers and 56 steals (translating to a 115 wRC+) over 1156 plate appearances in 2024-25, despite undergoing a November 2024 shoulder surgery that delayed his 2025 debut until mid-April. Another left hand strain ended Neto’s 2025 campaign in late September.