SEATTLE -- The Mariners made three roster moves on Monday afternoon, but it was the one that they didn’t that stirred the most speculation.
Brendan Donovan was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left groin muscle strain that was revealed after the third baseman underwent imaging on Sunday.
On paper, it looked like a prime opportunity for the club to call up No. 1 prospect Colt Emerson, given that third base is the position he’s expected to see the most action when he indeed makes the Major League leap.
But instead, the Mariners selected infielder Will Wilson from Triple-A Tacoma, which necessitated a 40-man roster spot cleared -- done by transferring infielder Miles Mastrobuoni (right calf strain) to the 60-day IL.
There were many factors in play to keep Emerson in the Minors, but the leading one was that he’s been dealing with a left wrist issue.
“So I think it probably wasn't the best time at this point,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said ahead of Seattle’s series opener vs. the A’s. “He's going to continue to do what he's doing down there. And it just didn't feel like this was the right time for that.”
Donovan’s timeline
His IL stint is retroactive to Saturday (April 18), meaning that the earliest he could be activated is April 28. Donovan exited Friday’s game in the fourth inning with what Wilson initially called left hip tightness, was believed to be day to day and was potentially available off the bench Sunday.
But the imaging that he underwent revealed enough of a strain where an IL stint was necessary.
“It doesn't seem like it's going to be a longer-term situation,” Wilson said. “But again, we just kind of have to assess it as we go.”
Donovan missed two games the weekend prior vs. Houston with an illness and two games the weekend before that in Anaheim due to right groin discomfort.
Aside from the illness, he’s suggested that some of these issues may be lingering effects to the sports hernia surgery that he underwent on Oct. 7 when still with the Cardinals. As such, the Mariners have tried to be cautious with him -- especially considering how aggressive he plays.
“Sometimes with these surgeries, with the [groin] and your hips, you can get some things that just kind of snag,” Donovan said after the incident in Anaheim. He was not in the Mariners’ clubhouse during pregame availability on Monday.
Emerson’s timeline
As for Emerson, he was out of Tacoma’s lineup on Sunday and the Rainiers were off Monday. The wrist issue is not serious and he’s expected to return in the next few days.
Although MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 overall prospect has been off to a solid start -- wrist notwithstanding -- it’s not been at an otherworldly level that would force the club’s hand.
In 73 plate appearances across 18 games, Emerson is slashing .258/.361/.452 (.813 OPS), each category of which represents a dip from last year. He’s also seen his strikeout rate climb to 26% (from 17.5%) and his hard-hit rate drop to 36.8%.
Some of this may be related to the more challenging pitching that the Mariners wanted to expose him to at Triple-A.
The Mariners signed Emerson to an eight-year, $95 million extension earlier this month with intent of him being part of their 2026 plans. His time is coming soon -- just not yet.
3B in the interim
Leo Rivas has started there in each game that Donovan has been sidelined, including Monday. And the switch-hitter will probably remain there when the Mariners face a right-handed pitcher.
However, with the A’s starting lefty Jacob Lopez on Tuesday, it’s possible that the Mariners shift Rivas to second base, give Cole Young the day off and use Wilson at third. Young has played every inning of Seattle’s first 23 games.
Wilson signed a Minors contract on Jan. 26 after spending time in the Angels, Giants and Guardians organizations. A first-round pick by the Halos in 2019, he made his MLB debut last year with Cleveland and played in 34 games.
In 14 games at Tacoma this year, Wilson has slashed .275/.383/.400 (.783 OPS) with two doubles and one homer in 47 plate appearances.