After missing significant portions of his first two professional seasons due to a knee injury, Kyle Lewis is eager to show what he can do in the Arizona Fall League.
"When I got the call, they asked me if I wanted to do it and I hopped right on board," Lewis said about his invitation to the Fall League. "I'm excited to be out here."
Selected 11th overall by Seattle in the 2016 Draft, Lewis was off to an impressive start to his career in the Class A Short Season Northwest League before a knee injury suffered during a home-plate collision prematurely ended his pro debut in mid-July. He subsequently underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL as well as the medial and lateral meniscuses in his right knee.
• Arizona Fall League roster & stats
The procedure delayed the start of the 2017 season for the 22-year-old outfielder until June 11, and he was then briefly sidelined once more after colliding with the wall while attempting to make a catch in just his second game back with Class A Advanced Modesto.
Following a rehab stint in the Rookie Arizona League, Lewis returned to Modesto to bat .260/.325/.411 with six homers in 36 games before helping lead the Nuts to a California League title.
"It was definitely a hurdle at first, where you're playing games but you don't quite feel like a player," said the Mariners' No. 1 prospect (No. 41 overall), reflecting on his injury and recovery. "Probably my last 20 [games] I played this season, I really felt like things were going the way I wanted them to."
Though Lewis finished the regular season healthy, the Mariners still asked him to dedicate his first two weeks in the Fall League to further strengthening his surgically repaired right knee. He finally made his AFL debut for the Peoria Javelinas on Monday, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs scored and an RBI in a win against Glendale.

"I feel like I can do all the same things," said Lewis. "My legs have gotten stronger throughout the process. Still getting stronger every day, so, for me, I'm just looking forward to the future and what I can become."
While his sights may be set on the future, Lewis is, at least for now, focusing on using the Fall League to make up for some of the at-bats and innings he lost due to injury. The rest, he believes, will take care of itself.
"After getting to play only 40-50 games this year, any game I can play at this point I want to get into," Lewis said.
"As I get on the field I think that my game will start to mold itself and take care of itself. So for me, rather than come out here with a specific focus, just staying out there on the field, I think it will mold itself."
Mariners hitters in the Fall League
Braden Bishop, OF -- The 2015 third-rounder excelled on both sides of the ball in his second full season, highlighted by an impressive 31-game showing at Double-A Arkansas during which he batted .336/.417/.448. Altogether, the 24-year-old center fielder slashed .306/.393/.413 in 119 games across two levels, tallying 41 extra-base hits and 22 steals as well as 89 runs scored.

Joe DeCarlo, C -- Drafted as a third baseman in the second round of the 2012 Draft, DeCarlo began to make his transition behind the plate this season with Modesto, for whom he batted .240/.346/.415 with 13 home runs. He's continuing to work on his defensive skills as a member of Peoria's taxi squad in the AFL.
Eric Filia, OF/3B -- Filla has done nothing but surpass expectations since the Mariners selected him in the 20th round of the 2016 Draft. His plate discipline and on-base skills are among the best in the Minors, a notion supported by his 65-to-45 walk-to-strikeout ratio this season with Modesto. He's a .337/.422/.454 hitter in his career, with a 105-to-64 BB/K ratio in 197 games.
Mariners pitchers in the Fall League
Matthew Festa, RHP -- Festa showed big strikeout potential during the regular season with Modesto, where he compiled 99 strikeouts against 19 walks in 69 2/3 innings (42 appearances). A 6-foot-2 right-hander and a seventh-round pick in 2016, Festa sits in the low 90s with his fastball and complements it with a mid-80s slider.
Darin Gillies, RHP -- The 24-year-old right-hander moved up to Double-A this season and posted a 3.32 ERA while appearing in exactly 39 games for the second straight season. He's capable of working multiple innings and actually fared better against left-handed hitters (1.09 WHIP; .190 BAA) than he did righties (1.42 WHIP; .255 BAA) in 2017.
Max Povse, RHP -- Acquired from the Braves last November, Povse made the jump from Double-A to the Majors, where he struggled in three starts with the Mariners. The 6-foot-8 right-hander continued to struggle following a demotion to Triple-A, prompting the Mariners to select him for the Fall League, where they're hopeful he can get back on track ahead of the 2018 season.
Art Warren, RHP -- Warren, 24, impressed in his first full season as a reliever as he racked up 67 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings while appearing in 43 games. A 6-foot-3, 230-pound righty, he has a prototypical late-inning bullpen profile in that he'll sit at 94-97 mph and touch 98 with his fastball, pairing it with a sharp slider in the low 80s. He's made four scoreless appearances in the Fall League thus far, allowing just one hit in four innings.