Mariners Announce Six Roster Moves
Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters (including MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer) about a series of roster moves prior to tonight’s game with the Blue Jays, including catcher Luis Torrens being activated from the 10-day injured list. Torrens joins minor league callups Matt Brash and Matt Festa as new faces on Seattle’s roster, while right-hander Ken Giles was placed on the 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation, catcher Andrew Knapp was designated for assignment, and right-hander Erik Swanson was placed on the paternity list.
Left shoulder inflammation sent Torrens to the IL back on June 27, so he’ll return after missing only just beyond the 10-day minimum. The Mariners were hoping Torrens’ good numbers in 2021 meant he was ready to take a step forward as a part-time DH and catcher this season, but he has struggled to a .222/.280/.241 slash line over 118 plate appearances. Cal Raleigh has started to emerge as a solid regular starter behind the plate, and Tom Murphy is gone for the season due to shoulder surgery, so there would seemingly be room for Torrens to remain as the backup catcher for the remainder of the year.
Seattle selected Knapp’s contract when Torrens hit the injured list, and Knapp has appeared in two games in a Mariners uniform. Due to Knapp’s service time and the fact that he has been outrighted off a 40-man roster in the past, he has the freedom to elect free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate — Knapp already chose free agency when the Pirates DFA’ed him in May, which paved the way for Knapp to sign with the Mariners. It remains to be seen if Knapp will become a free agent again, or if he’ll choose to remain at Triple-A Tacoma (assuming he clears DFA waivers) as a depth option.
After missing all of 2021 due to Tommy John surgery, Giles then suffered a strained tendon in his right middle finger that delayed his M’s debut until June 21. The veteran reliever has allowed no runs and only one hit over 4 1/3 innings of work, albeit with four walks in that small sample size. Unfortunately for Giles, he’ll now be sidelined again with this latest injury.
Brash and Festa will look to fill the holes in Seattle’s bullpen, and Brash is making his return to the big leagues in a new relief role. Beginning the year as a starting pitcher, the former top-100 prospect posted a 7.65 ERA over five starts and 20 innings, recording almost as many walks (17) as strikeouts (19). The Mariners made the aggressive decision to promote Brash to the majors without any time spent at Triple-A, so Brash got his first taste of the top minor league level when the M’s demoted him in May and then converted him to relief pitching.
The results have thus far been impressive. Over his last 17 innings, Brash has posted a 1.59 ERA, a whopping 37.9% strikeout rate, and only a 7.57% walk rate. The hard-throwing Brash has the stuff to be a dominant reliever on paper, should he keep his past control problems in check.
Latest On Pirates’ Trade Possibilities
Few players who could plausibly be moved this summer would be as impactful a pickup as Bryan Reynolds. The Pirates center fielder isn’t performing at quite his star level from last season, but he’s having another well above-average campaign. Through 335 plate appearances entering play Friday, Reynolds owns a .257/.337/.463 line with 15 home runs, 10 doubles and a trio of stolen bases.
Controllable for another three-plus seasons, there’d be no shortage of interest if the Bucs make him available over the coming weeks. Jon Heyman of the New York Post lists the Yankees, Marlins, Phillies, Padres and Mariners among the teams likely to gauge his availability. There are no surprises among that group, as all five are known to be in the hunt for outfield help and/or have made unsuccessful attempts to pry Reynolds away in the past.
New York has relied on Aaron Judge in center field to great results, but they’ve grown dissatisfied with the continued struggles of Joey Gallo and (to a lesser extent) Aaron Hicks in the corners. They could eye Reynolds either to plug directly into left field or as a center field option capable of kicking Judge back to right. Miami and Philadelphia have direct needs in center field and figure to inquire about various possibilities at the position; the Fish have been linked to Oakland’s Ramón Laureano as well.
San Diego has holes in both corner spots and has watched center fielder Trent Grisham flounder for most of the year. Seattle may have the most robust outfield of any of the reported Reynolds suitors, but Jarred Kelenic struggled enough to be optioned to Triple-A and they’ve not gotten the production they’d anticipated from Jesse Winker or Mitch Haniger this season (the latter on account of injuries).
The quintet, of course, would certainly be joined by other suitors if the Pirates actively shopped Reynolds. Pittsburgh, however, has set a justifiably lofty asking price both at last summer’s deadline and over the winter. That makes him a longshot to actually change hands, and Heyman notes in a separate piece that it remains “unlikely” the Bucs will find a compelling enough offer to make a move.
That may also be true of star closer David Bednar, whom Heyman floats as a possible trade candidate. One of five players the Pirates acquired in the January 2021 Joe Musgrove deal, Bednar has emerged as one of the sport’s best late-inning weapons. Since landing in Pittsburgh, the right-hander has posted a 2.26 ERA while holding opponents to a .187/.255/.321 line in just shy of 100 frames. That includes 39 innings of 2.31 ERA ball this season, with Bednar punching out more than a third of batters faced and likely to earn his first All-Star nod.
The 27-year-old comes with even more club control than Reynolds, as he’s slated to remain in Pittsburgh through 2026. Bednar won’t reach arbitration-eligibility until the 2024 campaign, so there’s no financial pressure for the Bucs to make a deal. Needless to say, they’d have to be blown away by a package to pull the trigger on a Bednar trade as well.
One player the Bucs are virtually assured of trading is starter José Quintana. The veteran southpaw is having a solid bounceback season after signing a $2MM free agent deal over the winter. He’s a sensible back-end rotation target for teams seeking pitching help, and the Bucs have already fielded hits from contenders. As an impeding free agent on a team that won’t come anywhere near the postseason, he’s as good a bet as any player in the league to change uniforms over the next few weeks.
Quintana suggested he’s not dwelling on the possibility of being dealt, saying he’s “(staying) focused on one start at a time” (link via Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic). He acknowledged a move was a possibility, but indicated he’d be open to returning to Pittsburgh in free agency next winter. “For sure, I want to come back here. But I think it’s too soon to talk about that. I want to keep my eyes focused on this season, one start at a time.” Nothing would preclude the Bucs from reengaging with Quintana’s representatives during the offseason if/when he’s dealt this month, but this season’s solid 3.33 ERA/3.96 SIERA make it likely he’ll land a loftier guarantee (and perhaps a two-year commitment) if he continues to pitch well down the stretch.
Injury Notes: Jansen, Faedo, Lewis, Stephenson, Dunn
Kenley Jansen‘s problems with irregular heartbeats have plagued him for over a decade, yet that familiarity has also made this serious issue seem oddly matter-of-fact for the Braves closer. With Jansen again on the injured list, he spoke with reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) about his latest bout with atrial fibrillation. Jansen said he actually first had an irregular heartbeat on June 18, but after a visit with doctors, he pitched five more times before his symptoms continued to the point that some time off was necessary. However, after being placed on the IL on June 28, Jansen said he plans to miss only the minimum 15 days.
More on other injury situations from around baseball…
- Tigers right-hander Alex Faedo left during the third inning of today’s start due to what the club described as right hip soreness. More will be known about Faedo’s condition after the game, yet another injury would continue Detroit’s horrific luck with pitcher health this season. Just about all of Detroit’s starting pitchers have spent time on the IL at some point and several are still recovering, which opened the door for Faedo to both make his MLB debut and then make 11 starts in his rookie season.
- Kyle Lewis has started a Triple-A rehab assignment, and Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters (including MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer) that Lewis will get “a healthy dose of playing time” as an outfielder. Lewis suffered a torn meniscus in May 2021, and thus far in 2022 has played almost exclusively as a DH in minor league action and in four Major League games. A return to regular outfield work is a positive sign for Lewis, who has missed over a month on the concussion-related IL.
- Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson is set begin a Triple-A rehab assignment today, while Justin Dunn will make his next minor league rehab start on Wednesday, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter links). Stephenson suffered a fractured right thumb on June 9, but looks on pace to return within the original 4-6 week projected recovery timeline. Dunn, meanwhile, has yet to pitch at all since the Reds acquired him from the Mariners as part of the Eugenio Suarez/Jesse Winker trade package in March — a shoulder injury sidelined Dunn in Spring Training. Dunn has two rehab outings under his belt already, and he is slated to throw around 60-65 pitches in his next trip to the mound.
Mariners Sign Chris Mazza To Minor League Deal
The Mariners have signed right-hander Chris Mazza to a minor league contract, as announced by Triple-A Tacoma media relations director Paul Braverman (Twitter link). Mazza, a client of NPG Sports, has already joined the Rainiers, per Braverman..
Mazza, 32, spent the season to this point in the Rays organization, though the bulk of that time came on the 60-day injured list due to back troubles. He’d been on a minor league rehab assignment with the Rays, but at the end of his 20-day rehab window, Tampa Bay opted to reinstate Mazza and designate him for assignment rather than add him back to the big league roster. The right-hander is out of minor league options, so the Rays had to either cut him loose or carry him on the roster. Mazza went unclaimed on waivers and elected free agency last week.
This will be the second stint in the Mariners organization for Mazza, who signed a minor league deal with Seattle back in Aug. 2018. He finished out the season with their Double-A affiliate but wound up going to the Mets in the minor league phase of that year’s Rule 5 Draft.
Mazza has since spent parts of four seasons in the Majors, seeing time with the Mets, Red Sox and Rays. He’s compiled a 5.35 ERA in 79 innings, striking out batters at an 18.5% clip against a 9.2% walk rate and 36.3% grounder rate. He logged 27 1/3 innings with the Rays a year ago, pitching to a 4.61 ERA in a career-high 14 Major League appearances.
Looking past those sub-par strikeout and walk rates, Mazza has shown a repeated knack for inducing weak contact. That was truer than ever last season, when Mazza yielded just an 85.5 mph average exit velocity and a meager 29.7% hard-hit rate as a member of the Rays. He couldn’t sustain that in 2022, when he was tagged seven earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, though it seems fair to wonder whether he was ever pitching at full strength this season.
Regardless, Mazza will give the M’s some upper-level bullpen depth with big league experience and a solid track record in Triple-A, where he’s pitched to a 3.68 ERA with a solid 23.9% strikeout rate and a strong 7.5% walk rate in 142 career innings.
Mariners Select Marcus Wilson
The Mariners announced they’ve selected outfielder Marcus Wilson onto the big league roster. He’ll replace Taylor Trammell, who lands on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. Seattle also optioned corner infielder Kevin Padlo to Triple-A Tacoma and recalled utilityman Sam Haggerty to add some defensive flexibility to the bench. In order to create a 40-man roster spot for Wilson, catcher Tom Murphy has been transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL.
Wilson, 25, would make his major league debut if he gets into a game. He’s spent time on a 40-man roster before, having been added to the Red Sox’s roster to keep him from being taken in the 2019 Rule 5 draft. Wilson spent a year and a half on optional assignment to the minor leagues before being designated for assignment by Boston at last summer’s trade deadline. Seattle grabbed him off waivers and kept him in Triple-A for the remainder of last season.
The California native struggled during his initial two months in the M’s organization, leading Seattle to take him off the 40-man at the end of last year. Wilson passed through waivers unclaimed and remained in the system, and he’s spent this season in Tacoma. Through 209 plate appearances, he owns a .209/.336/.469 line with 12 home runs and eight stolen bases. As he has for most of his minor league tenure, Wilson has shown some power, speed and excellent strike zone awareness to work walks at a nearly 15% clip. He’s paired those promising tools with alarming swing-and-miss concerns throughout his time in pro ball, though, and he’s again punched out in more than a third of his plate appearances with Tacoma this season.
Wilson has experience at all three outfield spots but has spent much of this season in right field. That’s where Trammell has suited up for much of the year, putting together a solid .235/.323/.457 showing over 32 games. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old went down with a hamstring strain during last night’s contest. It’s the second time that’s happened to Trammell, as he spent around six weeks on the minor league IL earlier this season with the same injury. Whether his current strain is as severe as the one he suffered in April isn’t clear, but he’ll at least need some time on the shelf.
The Mariners figure to rely on some combination of Justin Upton, Dylan Moore and Wilson to cover right field for the next few weeks. Opening Day right fielder Mitch Haniger has been out since late April after suffering a high ankle sprain. He’s recently begun baseball activities but has yet to embark on a minor league rehab assignment; Haniger has maintained he hopes to be back in the big leagues around the All-Star Break.
Seattle could’ve elected to recall Jarred Kelenic, who was optioned six weeks ago at the time the M’s brought Trammell up. Kelenic has responded with a strong .295/.340/.576 showing in Tacoma, but he’s struck out at an alarming 27.7% rate while only walking at a 5.7% clip. The organization clearly feels the 22-year-old would be better served with continued run against high minors pitching — he’d had only 30 career Triple-A games entering this season — rather than returning to the majors to hold down right field until Haniger is healthy.
Murphy, meanwhile, has been out of action since May 7 after dislocating his left shoulder attempting a tag at home plate. He later suffered a setback, and Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times relayed last week that he’ll require season-ending surgery. That makes today’s IL transfer nothing more than a formality.
It’s an obviously frustrating end to the year for Murphy, who only managed to appear in 14 games. The 31-year-old had performed very well in that limited stretch and looked as if he’d reemerged as a viable #1 option for the Mariners. Murphy had a stellar .273/.324/.535 showing while suiting up in just under half the team’s games in 2019, but he missed the entire following season after fracturing his left foot. Murphy returned last season but managed a less inspiring .202/.304/.350 showing through 325 trips to the plate.
Murphy’s efforts at a bounceback season are cut short by the shoulder issue. He’s playing this season on a $1.575MM salary after avoiding arbitration. The Mariners can keep him around via that process for a final time in 2023. Whether they’ll do so figures to depend on the long-term prognosis for his recovery. Murphy’s abbreviated season won’t earn him much of a raise relative to this year’s modest salary, but it’s possible Seattle looks for a new starting catcher next winter given his recent injury woes.
Royals Trade Carlos Santana To Mariners, Promote Vinnie Pasquantino
The Mariners have acquired first baseman/designated hitter Carlos Santana and cash from the Royals in exchange for right-handers Wyatt Mills and William Fleming, per a team announcement. The trade paves the road for the Royals to take an overdue look at top prospect Vinnie Pasquantino, whose contract has been formally selected from Triple-A Omaha, according to the team. Right-hander Ronald Bolanos has been designated for assignment in order to open a spot on Kansas City’s 40-man roster.
Monday’s trade closes the book on a generally underwhelming Kansas City tenure for Santana, who inked a two-year, $17.5MM contract in advance of the 2021 season but has yet to round into the form that made him such a valuable contributor for years in Cleveland. The switch-hitting 36-year-old tallied 871 plate appearances with the Royals and posted just a .215/.326/.341 batting line — about 12% worse than league-average after weighting for park and league, by measure of wRC+.
Santana managed to turn things around in recent weeks, however, and has shown enough this month for the Mariners to take a low-cost look now that they suddenly find themselves in need of a first baseman. Ty France, Seattle’s most consistent hitter this season, recently landed on the injured list and figures to be out for a good bit longer than that 10-day minimum, given the diagnosis of a Grade 2 flexor strain. Santana shouldn’t be expected to fully replace France’s brilliant .316/.390/.476 batting line, but he’s managed a .298/.405/.468 output himself over his past 27 games and 111 plate appearances.
In all likelihood, the Royals are paying the vast majority of what remains on Santana’s contract. He’s still owed the balance of this year’s $10.5MM salary (about $5.8MM), and that number will increase based on plate appearances. Santana, who already has 212 plate appearances this season, will earn an additional $75K for every 25th plate appearance from 300 to 525.
It’s not the first time the Mariners have acquired Santana, though whenever he takes the field in a Mariners jersey, it’ll be his first actual game with the team. Seattle actually acquired Santana alongside J.P. Crawford in the deal that sent Jean Segura, Juan Nicasio and James Pazos to the Phillies back in Dec. 2018. However, not two weeks later, Santana was traded to Cleveland in the three-team swap that brought Edwin Encarnacion to Seattle. Encarnacion spent a half season slugging as the Mariners’ designated hitter before being flipped to the Yankees for righty Juan Then.
This time around, it’ll be a pair of right-handers going to Kansas City in exchange for the final three-plus months of control over Santana. Of the two righties in question, only Mills has big league experience thus far. The 27-year-old has pitched a total of 21 1/3 frames over the past two seasons but struggled to a 7.59 ERA with worse-than-average strikeout and walk rates in that time (17.3% and 10.2%, respectively).
Mills, the No. 93 overall pick in 2017, has more interesting but also inconsistent numbers in the upper minors. The sidearming righty fanned a whopping 44.7% of his opponents through 28 2/3 innings of Triple-A ball last year, for instance, but that rate has been halved so far in 2022 over the course of 19 2/3 innings. There’s no velocity change between his ’21 and ’22 campaigns, though Mills did throw more fastballs at the expense of some slider usage during this year’s small sample of 8 2/3 big league innings. The 6’4″ righty has never ranked as one of the Mariners’ very best prospects, but Baseball America has listed him among Seattle’s top 25 farmhands dating back to the time he was drafted.
Fleming, meanwhile, is a 23-year-old righty whom the Mariners selected in the 11th round just one year ago. He generally hasn’t been considered among the Mariners’ best prospects either — though FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen did tab him 28th earlier this year — and has posted fairly pedestrian numbers in Class-A Modesto despite being a former college arm who’s older than his average opponent at that level. So far, Fleming has tossed 67 2/3 innings over 14 starts and logged a 4.92 ERA with a 20.7% strikeout rate against an 8.4% walk rate.
For the Royals, the arms received in exchange for Santana are secondary when it comes to this trade. The greater purpose of the swap was to at last open playing time for the 6’4″, 245-pound Pasquantino, who has mashed his way into top prospect status by dominating at every minor league stop, including Triple-A this season. So far, Pasquantino has taken 296 turns at the plate for the Storm Chasers and posted a huge .280/.372/.576 batting line with 18 home runs, 16 doubles two triples and more walks (37) than strikeouts (36).
Given his size and lack of speed, Pasquantino is locked into a first base-only (or designated hitter) profile, but there’s every indication so far that his bat will play in the Majors. Scouting reports at Baseball America and FanGraphs indicate that he’s improved enough with the glove to be average or slightly better, and Pasquantino has never posted an OBP lower than .371 or a slugging percentage lower than .560 at any minor league level. And, given the dearth of strikeouts in his game, he’s been able to maintain a .293 average throughout his minor league tenure to date.
Even without much defensive value to prop up his value, Pasquantino ranks as the game’s No. 57 prospect over at Baseball America. He checks in 95th at FanGraphs and 98th at MLB.com, with all three scouting reports praising his plus (or better) hit tool and above-average power.
The organizational hope is that between Pasquantino and fellow slugger Nick Pratto — also a first base-only, top-100 prospect — they’ll have their first base and DH slots covered for years to come. Pasquantino’s promotion to the Majors is late enough that he should avoid Super Two status, and he’ll be controllable for at least six full seasons beyond the current campaign.
As for the 25-year-old Bolanos, he’s seen action with Kansas City in each of the past three seasons but has posted pedestrian numbers on the whole. Once a notable Padres signing out of Cuba, he was traded to the Royals alongside Franchy Cordero in the 2020 trade that sent Tim Hill to San Diego. He’s since combined for 28 1/3 innings of 4.76 ERA ball with a lackluster 24-to-17 K/BB ratio.
Bolanos does have a respectable 4.42 ERA in 18 1/3 innings this year, but his average fastball of 93.6 mph is down about two miles per hour from its peak and that ERA comes in spite of an even number of walks to strikeouts. Add in that he’s limped to a 5.49 ERA in 19 2/3 Triple-A frames this season, and it was enough for the Royals to decide they’re willing to move on. Of course, the DFA doesn’t necessarily spell the end of his time in the organization. Kansas City will have a week to trade Bolanos if there’s interest, but the Royals can also attempt to pass him through outright waivers at some point in the next week. If he goes unclaimed, he’d remain with the organization but no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.
Major League Baseball Issues 12 Suspensions For Angels – Mariners Brawl
Major League Baseball has handed down 12 suspensions arising from yesterday’s bench-clearing brawl between the Angels and Mariners. The league also handed out undisclosed fines. Nine of the individuals disciplined are from the Angels, while the Mariners lose a trio of players. The discipline is as follows:
Angels
- Interim manager Phil Nevin: Ten games
- Third baseman Anthony Rendon: Five games
- Assistant pitching coach Dom Chiti: Five games
- Right-hander Andrew Wantz: Three games
- Right-hander Ryan Tepera: Two games
- Right-hander Raisel Iglesias: Two games
- Bench coach Ray Montgomery: Two games
- Interpreter Manny del Campo: Two games
- Catching coach Bill Haselman: One game
Mariners
- Outfielder Jesse Winker: Seven games
- Shortstop J.P. Crawford: Five games
- Outfielder Julio Rodríguez: Two games
The fight occurred during yesterday afternoon’s contest (video link). Wantz, who opened the game for the Halos, threw a pitch behind Rodríguez in the first inning. That came on the heels of the Angels taking umbrage to an up-and-in offering from Erik Swanson to Mike Trout the night before, and it resulted in warnings from the umpiring crew. Wantz nevertheless hit Winker with the first pitch of the following inning. The Seattle left fielder initially seemed as if he’d simply take first base, but he wound up making his way towards the Angels’ dugout. That kicked off a few minutes of fighting that eventually resulted in the ejections of Wantz, Winker, Crawford, Rodríguez, Nevin, Tepera, Iglesias and Seattle manager Scott Servais.
Wantz’s suspension is for “intentionally throwing at Winker while warnings were in place,” according to MLB. Nevin has been suspended for Wantz’s pitches, while everyone else involved was banned for their roles in the melee itself.
Players are afforded an appellate right for on-field discipline. MLB announced that Wantz has already foregone his appeal and will begin serving his suspension today. The league didn’t indicate that any other players had done that, so they’ll remain on the roster while their suspensions are being heard. Rendon is on the injured list after undergoing season-ending wrist surgery two weeks ago. His suspension won’t take effect until he’s back on the active roster — meaning he’ll presumably miss the first five games of the 2023 season.
Coaches do not have the right to appeal their suspensions. Nevin, Chiti and del Campo will begin serving their bans tonight; Montgomery and Haselman will be out once Chiti returns five games from now.
Notably, players suspended for on-field rules violations cannot be replaced on the active roster. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets that the Mariners will be permitted to stagger any bans for their suspended players so as not to have the position player group decimated at the same time — it’s unclear if a similar setup will be in place for the Halos’ bullpen — but the teams will both be playing short-handed for a while once the appeals process is sorted out. While the Angels were dealt significantly more suspensions in terms of quantity, Seattle will feel the bigger hit in on-field production (assuming the suspensions aren’t overturned on appeal) with the subtraction of a trio of regulars from the lineup.
Mariners Select Andrew Knapp
The Mariners selected catcher Andrew Knapp onto the big league roster before tonight’s matchup with the Orioles. Fellow backstop Luis Torrens is headed to the 10-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. Seattle already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster.
Knapp signed a minor league contract with the M’s last month. He’s played at Triple-A Tacoma since then, putting up only a .198/.250/.432 line in 22 games. The switch-hitting backstop also didn’t provide much offense during a brief early-season run with the Pirates, and he’s coming off a .152/.215/.214 showing over 159 plate appearances with the Phillies last year. Aside from an excellent 33-game stretch with Philadelphia in 2020, Knapp has been a below-average offensive player. He owns a .210/.310/.315 line in parts of six MLB seasons.
Despite those struggles at the plate, the 30-year-old gets the call to add some depth behind the dish. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets that Torrens was injured during yesterday’s fracas between the Mariners and Angels — one which resulted in the handing down of 12 suspensions. Torrens wasn’t among the players disciplined, but he’ll have his own brawl-induced absence from the playing field.
Seattle has already been without Tom Murphy, and Torrens’ injury left Cal Raleigh as the only healthy catcher on the 40-man roster. The M’s had no alternative but to add a #2 option, and they’ll turn to the veteran Knapp in that role. The club didn’t provide a recovery timetable for Torrens, who is hitting .222/.280/.241 on the season.
Mariners Place Ty France On 10-Day IL With Flexor Strain
3:47PM: The Mariners have officially announced France’s IL placement, which is retroactive to June 24. Infielder Drew Ellis was called up from Triple-A to take France’s spot on the active roster.
8:45AM: Mariners first baseman Ty France tells Daniel Kramer of MLB.com that he has a Grade 2 flexor strain in his left arm and will be placed on the 10-day injured list.
France was playing first base on Thursday when Sheldon Neuse hit a ground ball that resulted in a close play at the bag. As France reached for the throw, he and Neuse made contact, with Neuse’s body appearing to bend France’s wrist back. France dropped to the ground in obvious pain and left the game.
Losing France will undoubtedly be a blow to the Mariners, as he has been the club’s best hitter over the past two years. Acquired from the Padres in a seven-player deal at the 2020 deadline, France hit .291/.368/.445 last year. That resulted in a 129 wRC+, the highest such mark among qualified Mariners on the year. This season, he’s taken his game to an even higher level, as he’s currently hitting .316/.390/.476, which gives him a 157 wRC+. That’s easily the best mark among qualified hitters on the team and the 11th-best in all of baseball this year.
Subtracting that kind of production would hurt any lineup, but the Mariners will face a particular challenge, given the lack of obvious options to step up and take his place. France has started all but three of Seattle’s game at first base this year, with Abraham Toro getting one and Dylan Moore getting the other two. Toro is having a miserable season, currently sitting on a line of .167/.217/.307. He’s also the team’s utility infielder, being used to give the occasional off-day to players like Adam Frazier and Eugenio Suarez, making him ill-suited to take over everyday action at first. Moore is hitting .170/.342/.330 in a part-time role. Despite the low batting average, his 14.2% walk rate is helping him to a wRC+ of 107, though that might be harder to maintain with full-time at-bats. Evan White, who once seemed like the club’s first baseman of the future, is currently on the 60-day IL. Kramer recently noted that he’s not close to a return and won’t be able to fill in.
Despite an aggressive offseason and high expectations coming into the season, the Mariners are in a tight spot right now. Their 33-39 record places them six games out of a playoff spot as of today. The trade deadline is just over a month away, making the next batch of games very important for teams to determine how aggressive they want to be as the August 2 deadline approaches. The Mariners will now have to navigate at least ten days of that stretch without their best bat.
Roenis Elias Accepts Outright Assignment With Mariners
Mariners reliever Roenis Elias has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma, tweets Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The left-hander had the right to elect free agency but he’ll forego that opportunity and report to the Rainiers in hopes of pitching his way back onto the M’s roster.
Elias has spent the majority of the season in Tacoma, tossing 17 1/3 innings over 14 appearances. He’s allowed only seven runs in that time (3.63 ERA), demonstrating strong control in the process. Elias has walked just 6.8% of batters faced, helping to compensate for a below-average 17.6% strikeout rate.
That generally solid work earned him a pair of looks on the big league roster. The M’s first brought Elias up as a temporary COVID substitute in mid-May, then formally selected him onto the 40-man a couple weeks later. Between the two stints, the 33-year-old worked 7 2/3 innings of three-run ball. He fanned six, walked three and allowed one home run before being designated for assignment this week.
This season’s return marked the culmination of a couple seasons of injury rehab for the veteran hurler. Elias spent all of 2020 on the Nationals’ injured list battling a flexor strain in his forearm. The following spring, he required Tommy John surgery after latching on with the Mariners via minor league deal. That cost him all of last season, but Seattle signed him to a two-year minor league contract to see through the rehab process in hopes of a 2022 comeback. He’s now appeared in parts of seven MLB seasons, compiling a 3.96 ERA in just under 400 innings.