Sound strategy? Mariners’ Andrew Romine isn’t a pitcher, but he’s part of escalating MLB trend

Andrew Romine stepped atop the mound to pitch the ninth inning Friday night, acting as the Seattle Mariners’ white flag. They were trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-1 and the first pitch he threw traveled 67.7 mph to Manny Machado.

Yes, a 67.7 mph pitch in a major league baseball game thrown to one of the best hitters in the world.

Romine is now one of two position players in Mariners history to be called on in two different games to pitch in a season, joining former catcher Jesus Sucre, who pitched two outings in 2015.

Romine added to the escalating number of pitching appearances by position players across baseball. The previous record was 32 appearances set last year – yet entering Friday there had been 45 appearances from position players.

This used to be a baseball novelty, saved for a 15-inning game when the bullpen is depleted. Now it’s sound strategy. With so many teams builton situational relievers in the bullpen, why tax an arm they could use the following day and play for the rare 10-run rally? Why not, instead, send Romine out to toss 68-mph pitches to Machado?

His reaction when Mariners manager Scott Servais asks him to head to the mound?

“Um ... OK,” Romine said.

“At this point, it’s just go do it. When you’ve done it six times like I have now (for his career) you’re just kind of like, ‘Let’s get the inning over.’”

Some enjoy the quirk, others cringe. Take Thursday in Philadelphia, when utility player Scott Kingery tossed arching pitches that resembled slow-pitch softball tosses as part of a 24-4 loss to the Mets, a game the Phillies used three position players to pitch the final three innings. Philadelphia ballwriters noted Kingery’s pitches were thrown so slow that the stadium radar gun wasn’t registering them.

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Credit to Romine, he actually pitched a scoreless inning Friday night and even revved a fastball up to 89 mph to Matt Kemp. Using Romine to pitch an inning, though, is like telling Seahawks punter Jon Ryan to take over for Russell Wilson at quarterback in the fourth quarter.

“They key is throw strikes,” Servais said. “And try not to take it too seriously.”

Servais said he always has position players touting they can toss 94-mph fastballs,and they still often talk in the clubhouse of former catcher Carlos Ruiz pitching against the Twins last season. Dee Gordon said he was pleading to head to the mound at the end of Friday’s game, and the Mariners also used Taylor Motter to pitch earlier this season.

“You’re in a game, it’s not a good game, everybody is down,nobody is happy. At the end of the day, it’s a game. This keeps it a little light,” Servais said. “We’re not going to win tonight, let’s see if we’ll win tomorrow.”

Romine has now appeared in at least one game to pitch in four of the past five seasons.

“I think it’s fun,” he said. “I’ve done it enough times now to actually be able to enjoy it. The first couple of times it’s nerve-racking andit’s hard. You’re trying not to embarrass yourself, but you’re really trying not to hit somebody or hurt somebody. There are a lot of things that can go wrong.

“But I’m not throwing the ball hard. I’m just kind of tossing it in there because I’m not going to hurt myself, either. Just let them get themselves out. If I was good enough to actually get them out, I would be a pitcher.”

Servais said the best pitching position player the Mariners have might be first baseman Ryon Healy, who actually started games at the University of Oregon and was recruited as a two-way player when he pitched and played first base at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California.

Servais recalled telling current Red Sox All-Star first baseman Mitch Moreland when they were both with the Rangers organization that the former Mississippi State lefty pitcher should switch to pitching when he was in the minor leagues.

“I was wrong,” Servais laughed. “He did just fine as a hitter.”

“But you’ve seen more of it happen this year (position players pitching) because you see a lot of managers taking the same approach – let’swin tomorrow’s game. What gives me the best chance to win tomorrow’s game? That’s why you go that route.”

Servais has been around the game long enough to say whether thisis truly a concerning trend for the health of baseball. He was asked what he thought of a rule to take it out of the manager’s hand and eliminate the use of a position player to pitch those final blowout innings.

“That should never be a rule,” Servais said. “You’re trying to manage not just the game, but the series and the week, month and season. There are games I would love to see us score 10 runs in the ninth inning and come back and win, but it just doesn’t happen very often. That should not be a rule. That’s up to the manager and the coaches to use the players as they so deem.”

Injury updates

Servais didn’t have a timetable on left-hander James Paxton’s return after taking a 96-mph comebacker off of his left forearm against the Athletics on Wednesday, but he did say Paxton has recovered much of his range of motion and hopes he can begin throwing sometime in the next few days.

Felix Hernandez will take Paxton’s place in the rotation for Monday’s game against the Houston Astros.

Shortstop Jean Segura remained on paternity leave and Servais was unsure if Segura would return for Sunday’s series finale or take the final of three days players are allowed to spend away with their newborn child.

Right-handed reliever Juan Nicasio had a second opinion on the swelling in his right knee that’s hampered him throughout the season.

“We’re still trying to weigh where he’s at and what his options are,” Servais said. “Based on what doctors said, I’m not sure that surgery will really help it that much. But I’m not a doctor, so we’re just trying to see if there’s any chance of getting him back because he would be really big for us.”

Roster move

The Mariners on Saturday recalled right-handed reliever Matt Festa, their No. 9-ranked prospect in the organization as ranked by Baseball America, from Double-A Arkansas and optioned right-hander Christian Bergman to Triple-A Tacoma.

The Mariners wanted to bulk up their bullpen with right-hander Erasmo Ramirez to make his second start off the disabled list on Saturday and left-hander Roenis Elias slated to return off the disabled list to start Sunday’s game, with lefty Marco Gonzales pushed back to Wednesday.

On tap

Elias (2-0, 2.88 ERA) will make his second start this year and first since heading to the disabled list with a left triceps strain on July 29 for a 1:10 p.m. Sunday game at Safeco Field against Dodgers three-time Cy Young lefty Clayton Kershaw (5-5, 2.47 ERA). This will be Kershaw’s first career outing against the Mariners.

The game will broadcast on Root Sports and 710-AM radio.