The Seattle Mariners have made a number of transactions in the lead up to the MLB trade deadline. However these moves have not been trades to help the team stave off the Houston Astros in the AL West. The Mariners are dealing with injuries to key players at the worst time possible.
Gold Glove shortstop JP Crawford was the most recent Mariner added to the injured list. And the news is not ideal for the struggling club. According to Seattle general manager Justin Hollander, Crawford will be out of action 4-6 weeks, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times on X.
Crawford was hit on the hand by a pitch from the Los Angeles Angels’ Tyler Anderson on July 22. The eight-year veteran doubled over in pain and was later diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right pinky.
Like most of the Mariners’ lineup, Crawford has struggled at the plate this year. Prior to hitting the 10-day injured list, the shortstop was slashing a meager .204/.299/.347 with nine home runs and 42 runs scored in 77 games. Still, he’s managed to put up 1.5 WAR so far this year despite missing nearly a month of play with a right oblique strain suffered in late April.
Just last season Crawford was a key offensive cog in Seattle’s lineup with 35 doubles, 19 home runs and 94 runs scored with an OPS+ of 132 and 5.1 WAR in 145 games for the team. He even finished 16th in MVP voting in 2023.
JP Crawford’s injury could keep him out of Mariners’ lineup until September
Of course it’s Crawford’s defense that makes him such an important part of the Mariners’ team. He’s compiled 5.4 dWar over his career and 4.9 dWAR in his six seasons in Seattle.
Just a day before Crawford went down with the broken finger, the Mariners lost star center fielder Julio Rodriguez. The two-time All-Star had to leave the game against the Astros on Sunday after tracking a deep shot off the bat of Yordan Alvarez and slamming into the wall.
While x-rays were negative, the former Rookie of the Year sustained a high ankle sprain and landed on the 10-day injured list. High ankle sprains can be notoriously bothersome and the Mariners will reevaluate Rodriguez’s progress in 7-10 days.
The same day that Rodriquez was injured, Seattle placed veteran first baseman Ty France on outright waivers. France had spent five years with the Mariners and made the All-Star team in 2022. But like most of Seattle’s hitters, France struggled this year producing an OPS of .662.
The Mariners are now down three staples of the lineup as Seattle attempts to hold off the Astros in the AL West. The teams are tied for the division lead entering play Wednesday. However, the Mariners have lost four of five games since returning from the All-Star break – including losing two of three games to the Astros.
Whichever team finishes second will likely miss the postseason altogether as the Mariners are 3.5 games back in the American League Wild Card race despite being tied for first in their division. Both the Mariners and the Astros hope to improve their rosters at the trade deadline, with Seattle particularly interested in adding a power bat at a corner infield spot.
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