The Seattle Mariners head to Detroit all tied with the Tigers at 1-1 in the best-of-five American League Division Series, and when they take the field in Game 3 on Tuesday, Josh Naylor will be in the lineup to help them out.
Naylor originally did not fly with the team to Detroit, staying behind as his wife, Chantel Collado, is due to give birth to the couple's first child any day now. With the baby still not here, Naylor will bat fifth and play first base for Seattle in a game that gets underway just after 4 p.m. ET.
The plan, according to MLB.com, is for Naylor to remain with the team until his wife goes into labor, at which point he would fly to Arizona to be with her (Naylor began the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks before heading to the Mariners in a trade just before the deadline).
Naylor is 0-8 with a walk in nine plate appearances over the first two games of the ALDS. The Mariners and Tigers split 3-2 decisions in each game.
If Naylor leaves the team during this series, similar rules apply compared to the regular season. He will go on the paternity list, allowing him to be with his family for up to three days. The Mariners could then replace him on the active roster with any of the 11 players on their taxi squad.
In 54 regular season games with the Mariners, Naylor has more or less picked up where he left off with the Diamondbacks. He hit .299 with an .831 OPS and nine home runs. He also stole 19 bases without being caught.
The Mariners face Jack Flaherty in Game 3, followed by Casey Mize in Game 4. Both are righties, though Naylor's season-long splits show he has succeeded against just about everyone. He is 3-9 with two walks in his career against Flaherty.
