Luis Torrens impresses in Mariners debut, will get bulk of catching reps in final stretch
Less than a week into working with his new pitching staff, catcher Luis Torrens made his Mariners debut Friday night at T-Mobile Park.
How did it go?
“Can’t say enough about our new catcher,” manager Scott Servais said during a postgame video call following a 6-3 win. “I thought he did an excellent job behind the plate tonight. He’s going to pick up the pace here with our guys, learning our guys really quick.”
There was plenty to like from the 24-year-old backstop in his first appearance. He caught four pitchers he’s just getting to know, who allowed a combined three runs on five hits in a third consecutive victory for the Mariners.
Yusei Kikuchi tossed a quality start in his first game working with Torrens, allowing only one run — a solo homer — on two hits with seven strikeouts in one of his best outings of the season.
Kendall Graveman and Anthony Misiewicz each threw scoreless innings in relief in their first appearances with Torrens behind the plate.
And, though the Rangers scored two more in the ninth, Torrens helped Yoshihisa Hirano work out of the late jam to preserve the win.
“I thought he made some good adjustments late in the game with some of our relievers who he’s never caught before,” Servais said. “It says a lot for him and his baseball IQ. He’s a young player, but he gets it and he wants to learn. He’s asking good questions. You can seethe reaction on his face in conversations in between innings in the dugout, and I’m excited. I’m excited to see him play here the rest of the season.”
The Mariners will see Torrens plenty. He arrived earlier this week as part of the seven-player trade with the Padres. That trade sent Austin Nola, who started most games for Seattle in the first half, to San Diego.
With rookie Joe Odom the only other catcher on the active roster, Torrens is expected to get the bulk of the reps for the Mariners this final month of the regular season.
“It’s very exciting,” Torrens said through interpreter Ian Kraft following his arrival. “I feel really excited to be here and I just want to be as good as I can be for the team.”
Torrens had the opportunity to catch most of his new teammates in two practices during the Mariners’ three-day break after the postponement of their scheduled series against the A’s.
“Huge help for him,” said Servais, who is a former big league catcher. “I’ve been in that spot where you get traded midseason. It’s really challenging. … I see him putting his gear on, running to the bullpen to try to catch as many guys as he can here in a couple days, so I’ve been really impressed by him.
“He wants to learn the guys, learn the pitchers as quick as possible, and that’ll be the real focus for him is don’t get so consumed or concerned about the other opponent. Let’s focus on our guys and really understand what they’re working on and try to get the most out of them.”
Servais believes Torrens is ready for the challenge. He has spent parts of three seasons in the majors, catching 62 games, including seven for the Padres this year prior to the trade.
His path to the big leagues was unique. He was only 20 years old, and had never played a game above High-A, when the Padres traded for him in the Rule 5 Draft in 2016.
By rule, Torrens spent the entirety of the 2017 season with the Padres, and given his lack of experience in the upper rungs of the minors, struggled, hitting .163/.243/.203 in his 56 appearances, and caught 51 games.
“It was definitely a lot of emphasis on learning for me, making that jump from the minor leagues to the big leagues,” he said. “So I just cherished that year, and appreciated the opportunity to be at the big league level and continue to develop.”
In his return to the minors the past two seasons, he thrived, and it didn’t take long to find his way back to the Padres. Last season in Double-A, he hit .300/.373/.500 in 97 games with 23 doubles, a triple, 15 homers and 62 RBI.
“I wanted to go back down there and continue to just get better on defense,” Torrens said. “But, I obviously also still put a lot of emphasis and focus on my offense as well. I just want to continue to be a well-rounded player.”
He was recalled last September, playing in seven games, and opened this season at the Padres’ alternate training site, but was promoted again in August, appearing in seven more games.
INFIELD SHAKE UP
Utility player Dylan Moore, who was slashing at .282/.364/.538 through 21 games before a wrist sprain derailed him last month, was activated from the injured list Friday.
Moore was slotted back into his familiar spot in the batting order as the Mariners’ No. 2 hitter. He also started at second base Friday against the Rangers, a position Servais said Moore will play more of down the stretch.
Moore has now appeared in right field (12 games), left (five), at first base (three), second (two), third (two) and shortstop (two) this season.
“You’re going to probably see a little bit more of him at second base,” Servais said. “He will still play some outfield and cover a number of different positions for us, but he’s in there at second tonight.”
Seattle will prioritize getting Moore’s bat into the lineup after what he produced the first month before his injury. He had 16 runs scored, five doubles, five homers, 10 RBI and a team-leading six stolen bases entering his first game back, and finished 2-for-5 with a double, single and stolen base Friday.
With Ty France, who primarily plays third, but also has experience at first and second, also now in the infield mix after being traded from the Padres earlier this week, Servais said the Mariners will need to get creative with the lineup the final month. France was Seattle’s designated hitter Friday, and drove in a run with a base hit in his first at-bat as a Mariner.
“We need to really take advantage of the games that we have left in the season with the players that we have, and the ones we’ve just acquired obviously, so we’ll be creative and keep all the avenues open in giving these guys opportunities at different spots,” Servais said.
First baseman Evan White, shortstop J.P. Crawford and third baseman Kyle Seager will still get their regular reps at their respective positions, but second base could rotate more, meaning the Mariners will pivot their usage of Shed Long Jr. as their every day second baseman.
“With the new additions to the ball club, you might see Shed play a little left field here and there, you’ll obviously still see him some at second base, and you might see some DH there, so looking at the current roster, where we’re at, it might affect Shed,” Servais said.
Servais said he spoke with Long, who is hitting .170/.238/.295 through 32 games with five doubles, three homers, eight RBI, four stolen bases, 10 walks and 34 strikeouts, about the role change Thursday.
“Shed is still a very young player,” Servais said of his 24-year-old infielder. “I know the first 30-some games in the season maybe didn’t go as he’d hoped offensively, but there’s still a lot to like in what he brings.
“But, again, it’s giving other guys maybe an opportunity that have performed a little bit better to this point this season.”
Long is only 74 games into his big league career after debuting with Seattle last May and spending a good chunk of the season with Triple-A Tacoma. He hit .263/.333/.454 in 42 games with the Mariners last year.
“A lot of our young guys, they’ve got an opportunity,” Servais said. “Some guys have taken it and run with it. Some guys have struggled a little bit. It doesn’t mean it’s over for them by any means. It just means they’ve got to step back, make a few adjustments and earn their time again.”
SHORT HOPS
Utility player Tim Lopes, 26, was optioned to the Mariners’ alternate site in Tacoma on Friday to make room for Moore on the active roster. Lopes was hitting .240/.283/.340 in 32 games played with seven doubles, a homer, 10 RBI, five stolen bases, four walks and 23 strikeouts. He has appeared at DH (13 games), left field (11), right (seven), third (one) and pitcher (one) this season. … Saturday’s intrasquad game in Tacoma will be aired on ROOT Sports twice Sunday morning at 1 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
