SEATTLE -- The Mariners received a much-needed reinforcement to their infield ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Phillies, as J.P. Crawford was activated from the 10-day injured list.
And he’s expected to return to his old position more regularly.
However, in his first game back -- against his former team, to boot -- Crawford was at third base and rookie Brock Rodden was at shortstop.
“With J.P., we'll definitely bounce back a little bit from short to third,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “He's been able to do that before, and able to do that again now. And we're looking forward to really getting his bat -- his tough at-bats -- in the lineup again.”
Rodden was also the switch-hitting utility infielder that the Mariners opted to keep, instead optioning Leo Rivas to Triple-A Tacoma to clear a 26-man roster spot.
“These are tough decisions,” Wilson said. “And I think Brock has done a really nice job at short and has brought some good at-bats as well and some big hits, as did Leo. So again, these are really tough decisions, and they're difficult to make, but we just felt like Brock kind of brought a little bit of a spark.”
Once Brendan Donovan returns from the 7-day concussion IL, there’s a good chance that Crawford sees more everyday action at shortstop.
“He's held that position for a long time,” Wilson said. “And certainly when BD gets back and we get him going on an everyday basis, yeah, then I think obviously that's a spot that J.P. can handle. Obviously things can change. You just don’t know where it’s all going to go. But certainly, that’s something that we’ve thought about.”
All of this makes sense within Seattle’s longer-term roster construction, especially in the wake of rookie shortstop Colt Emerson slated for season-ending surgery on his left wrist on Wednesday.
Crawford has played more games at shortstop (939) than any player in franchise history and had exclusively played there over his first seven-plus seasons, before moving to third in mid-June to account for Emerson.
Crawford had been sidelined since July 30 with left wrist inflammation, yet it’s an issue that had been bothering him for quite a bit longer. It’s not dissimilar to what Emerson had been dealing with, per general manager Justin Hollander.
Rodden has shown flashes of promise with the glove there -- and at the plate, too -- but has only been up for 12 days. He’s gone 6-for-28 (.214) with two doubles, one triple, three RBIs, 13 strikeouts and three walks.
While Crawford was sidelined, Rivas made four starts at shortstop and was the corresponding move for Crawford back in July when he went on the IL. He, too, had a few big moments, including a walk-off single in the 10th inning on Friday against the Cubs, and a key hit the next day that set up Randy Arozarena’s walk-off homer.
So why option Rivas instead of someone else?
This mostly centers on how the Mariners will handle third base in the coming days. Donovan is still experiencing concussion symptoms after what Hollander described as a “freak accident” in the batting cages over the weekend.
Weston Wilson manned the hot corner in his stead for the first two games after Donovan was sidelined, and Patrick Wisdom was recalled from Tacoma once Donovan hit the shelf. Both are more capable options at third than Rivas and also can be used in a pinch at first base.
Rivas also wasn’t seeing much playing time, with just 19 plate appearances in August. It’s possible that he’s a consideration when rosters expand on Sept. 1, though it’s also possible that the Mariners consider No. 3 prospect Michael Arroyo.
Crawford played in three rehab games for Tacoma, going 4-for-11 with a three-run homer on Saturday. For the season, he’s slashed .212/.330/.345 (.675 OPS) with 10 homers, 11 doubles and 30 RBIs.