Crawford returns, but sore shoulder still has Mariners in 'monitor' mode

PEORIA, Ariz. -- J.P. Crawford is easing into the spring.

Tuesday marked the 31-year-old shortstop’s first Spring Training appearance since Feb. 20 after he experienced right shoulder soreness following Seattle’s Cactus League opener. In the lineup at designated hitter, he finished Tuesday’s 7-6 loss to the Angels 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored and exited the game in the fifth when Jakson Reetz entered as a pinch-hitter.

Crawford popped out to short after breaking his bat in the first inning and then reached on a walk in the fourth after taking four consecutive balls. His vision didn’t appear rusty despite the lack of recent playing time; he saw seven balls and two strikes over the course of his two at-bats, with his only swing coming on the aforementioned popout.

Crawford scored three batters later, tagging from third base on Colt Emerson’s sacrifice fly to center field.

"Getting him back in the lineup and getting some at-bats for him is huge,” manager Dan Wilson said after the game. “A good start today, and he’ll keep building on that going forward.”

There’s no set timetable for Crawford’s return to the field, but Wilson said the team will “monitor it as we go.” He’s set to DH for at least a few more games -- Seattle isn’t taking any chances with his shoulder -- but it won’t be long until he’s back at his regular position.

"If all goes well, we should see him back at short here pretty soon,” Wilson said.

Injuries have not been much of an issue so far during Crawford’s Major League career; he has appeared in at least 105 games every season since 2021 and played in 53 of Seattle’s 60 games during the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020.

He earned a Rawlings AL Gold Glove Award that same year, finishing second in the league at the shortstop position with six defensive runs saved (DRS).

Crawford hit .265 with 58 RBIs in 157 games in 2025 and contributed four RBIs and one home run in 12 postseason games.