Mariners place closer Hunter Strickland on 10-day injured list with right lat strain

Seattle Mariners closer Hunter Strickland, the only reliever in the bullpen with a defined role this season, has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right lat, the organization announced Saturday.

Strickland (0-1, 11.57 ERA) said he could not get loose in the bullpen ahead of his save opportunity Friday night against the Boston Red Sox, and tried to work through tightness in his right shoulder against the four batters he faced in the ninth inning.

The 30-year-old right-hander allowed hits to three of the batters he faced — including the go-ahead three-run homer to pinch hitter Mitch Moreland — and was tagged with the 7-6 loss. He recorded just one out in the inning before he was pulled by Mariners manager Scott Servais.

“There’s nothing fun about this situation,” Strickland said. “I want to be out there. I want to be out there for these guys. Obviously last night these guys played their tails off, and we deserved that win. They worked for it, and I didn’t come through with that. So, it’s frustrating for sure.

“But, where I’m at now is just control what I can, and do what I can do, and get back out there as soon as I can.”

Servais and Mariners trainer Rob Nodine made a mound visit in the ninth, when Seattle was still clinging to a 6-4 lead. Strickland had struggled with control, and allowed a lead-off double to Rafael Devers, who advanced to third on a passed ball. Then, he hit Sam Travis with a pitch.

Strickland ultimately stayed in the game, recording an out on a fielder’s choice before allowing the home run to Moreland.

“You don’t have a great feel for knowing all these guys and their ins and outs, and what they do on the mound or how they work through different things, but he told me he had enough to get through it, it just didn’t work out,” Servais said, noting how many new players the Mariners have acquired this season.

“You’re looking somebody right in the eye, and you’re trying to get a feel for them, and you’ve got to trust your guys. And like I said, he got the next guy out. And the velocity did not back off. He was still throwing 95-96 mph. It would have been different, if he was throwing 90-91. That wasn’t the case.”

Strickland said Saturday the shoulder tightness was still bothering him, and he was scheduled to have an MRI to take a closer look. The Mariners placed him on the 10-day injured list shortly after.

Strickland was signed as a free agent in January to replace All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, whom the Mariners traded to the New York Mets during the offseason.

He notched both saves during the Mariners’ two-game Japan series, and the Moreland home run accounts for all of the earned runs he’s allowed in his three appearances.

The Mariners brought right-hander David McKay up from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Strickland on the active roster.

McKay, who turns 24 years old Sunday, has yet to make his MLB debut, but Servais said he could appear during the Red Sox series. McKay was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in six spring training appearances. He tossed six innings, striking out seven and walking two.

“We have some inexperience,” Servais said. “There’s one way to change that, is you’ve got to get experience, and you’ve got to get out there and fire them out there. ...

“I thought he threw the ball really well (in the spring). He throws strikes. It’s a little bit different. He’s got some ride to his fastball, and a breaking ball that he throws for strikes.”

Servais suggested the Mariners will close games by committee with Strickland out.

“I think the way to probably go about this is just manage the game along and use the pieces you have to use to get you to the ninth inning,” Servais said. “And, in the ninth inning, you’ll probably see a guy who hasn’t pitched in the game yet.

“It could be Zac Rosscup one night. It could be (Roenis) Elias one night. It could be (Cory) Gearrin one night. It could be (Matt) Festa. It could be (Nick) Rumbelow. And you go down the list. We’re looking for somebody to get you three outs.”

The Mariners have three pitchers who are currently working back from injuries. Right-handers Shawn Armstrong, Gerson Bautista and Anthony Swarzak are each on the 10-day injured list.

Servais said he anticipates Swarzak will be active for the Los Angeles Angels series, which begins Monday. Armstrong is scheduled to throw a 25-pitch bullpen on the mound Sunday. Bautista is further out from returning, Servais said, and is just starting to throw.

MARINERS EXPERIMENT IN INFIELD

With veteran third baseman Kyle Seager out the first several weeks of the season, the Mariners continue to experiment with different looks in the infield.

Ryon Healy, the Mariners’ regular starter at first base last season, has logged much of his time at third to begin 2019.

But, the past two games, he has moved to first midway through the game to replace Jay Bruce, and rookie utility man Dylan Moore has filled the spot at third. Healy also started Saturday night’s game at first, with Moore getting the start at third and Bruce shifting to right field.

“It’s interesting,” Moore said. “It’s definitely a different dynamic in the dugout. You’ve kind of got to be thinking about what situation you’re going to go in. Maybe if they have a lefty, I’ll go in. In a different situation they want to keep Ryon in the game, or want to keep Jay for a right-hander, or something like that.

“So you’re just constantly thinking. Obviously with Seags out there’s not a true third baseman to where we’re going to have to do these things.”

Servais said the mid-game moves are to try to put his infielders in the positions they are most comfortable in for later innings, particularly with a lead to protect.

“Ryon is an accomplished first baseman,” Servais said. “We’ve seen him play first the whole time. Certainly at third, Dylan Moore is more athletic, used to playing on the left side of the infield. In doing that, you’re taking Jay Bruce out of the game. If a team comes back on you ... that’s the gamble you take. You’re trying to win the game in nine innings and go on from there.

“That’s the only thing behind it. I think Healy’s done fine at third. You just try to put guys in more comfortable positions late in games, where one ball or one play could turn the game.”

Servais said Healy has handled the games he’s played at third base well, and the Mariners will likely make less in-game moves as Bruce gets more comfortable at first.

Seager, 31, who had surgery to repair a tendon in his left hand on March 12 was transferred to the 60-day injured list Saturday.

SMITH GETS DAY OFF

Center fielder Mallex Smith, who missed most of the spring with a right elbow strain, recorded his first two hits — a triple and a home run — in starts Thursday and Friday, but was given the day off Saturday.

Servais said Smith would be available to enter the game, but the decision not to start him was about maintaining a slow course to build Smith back up into an everyday role.

“I don’t think it’s fair to him to take him and play him for six games straight out of the chute,” Servais said. “We would never do that to anybody in spring training. And he hasn’t played much. He’s had some at-bats, but he hasn’t been out in the field much.

“I think he’s playing great, and he really hit the ball hard last night, multiple times. I really like what I see there.”

This story was originally published March 30, 2019 at 4:30 PM.