Mariners takeaways: Big league roster continues to shift following injuries, positive COVID test
The Mariners’ active roster continues to shift.
In the past week, the club has made more than 25 moves that have impacted its active roster — including placing more players on the injured list.
The club was already without several regulars that remain on the 10-day IL — including starting pitcher Marco Gonzales, first baseman Evan White and infielder and designated hitter Ty France, among others — and added infielder Dylan Moore to that group pregame Wednesday with a left calf strain.
Two days later, the Mariners sent four more players to the IL following a reported positive COVID test.
There were nine roster moves made ahead of Friday night’s game in San Diego “out of an abundance of caution to allow time to work with Major League Baseball on contact tracing protocols,” a release from the club said.
The following moves were made:
▪ RHP Keynan Middleton (right biceps strain) was reinstated from the 10-day IL
▪ LHP Aaron Fletcher was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma
▪ RHP Wyatt Mills was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma
▪ RHP Yohan Ramirez was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma
▪ INF Eric Campbell was selected from Triple-A Tacoma
▪ RHP Robert Dugger was placed on the injured list
▪ LHP Anthony Misiewicz was placed on the injured list
▪ RHP Drew Steckenrider was placed on the injured list
▪ RHP Will Vest was placed on the injured list
While addressing reporters on his daily pregame video call Friday, Mariners manager Scott Servais said the club was informed of a positive test result when they arrived for their series against the Padres on Thursday.
“Last night when we landed here in San Diego, we were notified that we did have a positive COVID test,” he said. “We are going to be short a few players today, so we’ve added some extra guys to fill in the holes there as we try to work through this.
“Again, the No. 1 priority, obviously, is the health and safety of our players and everybody understanding the importance of getting vaccinated. But, it is an individual choice and, unfortunately not all of our guys are vaccinated, so it’s something that we have to deal with, like other teams have had to deal with throughout Major League Baseball.”
Per MLB health and safety protocols, individuals, including players, who test positive are required to isolate for a minimum of 10 days, while those who have been in close contact with the individual must isolate for seven. Individuals who are vaccinated can be cleared to return to the active roster sooner.
Servais noted concern about the possibility of more positive results in the coming days, but none had been reported as of pregame Saturday.
“All of us were tested again (Friday) and we were all tested again today,” Servais said Saturday.
Both Dugger and Misiewicz were cleared to return to the roster Saturday and reactivated ahead of that game against the Padres, while Fletcher and Mills were returned to Tacoma.
“Fortunate to get those guys back in our bullpen,” Servais said.
While Servais said the Mariners are “trending in the right direction” in hopes of reaching the 85 percent vaccination threshold of Tier 1 individuals, Seattle is not one of the major league clubs that has reached that mark.
When speaking with reporters earlier this month, before the Mariners had a positive test result, general manager Jerry Dipoto said much of the club’s minor league system has reached high vaccination numbers, but expressed concern about the big league club.
“Our organization at large, we’re highly vaccinated,” Dipoto said. “Through the minor leagues, really from every level, we are 90-plus percent across the board. Most notably the team in Tacoma. I think Tacoma we’re close to 100. It’s a very high number.
“Our big league team is lagging behind. Our Tier 1, Tier 2 ... we’re not where we need to be in achieving the 85 percent. Obviously that’s disappointing from a health and wellness perspective, and there’s some ominous hangover from a competitive standpoint, but it’s the decision of the individual, and while I can be disappointed and hope that time solves that, there’s not a lot I can do other than express that we are doing very well as an organization, we’re just lagging behind with our big league club.
“Hopefully that resolves itself soon, because eventually, like has happened at other places around the game, eventually it’s likely to crop up. It seems impossible that we’ve been able to avoid it for this long.”
Servais also shared concerns ahead of Friday’s game.
“COVID is real, and certainly people throughout the world have felt it,” he said. “It has been a big part of what we’ve had to deal with here in Major League Baseball with all the protocols.
“ … It’s about trying to keep our players healthy and doing the right thing. And I think people need to understand, again, it’s a personal choice, I understand that, but it does affect a lot of other people, even though it is a personal choice, so there’s different things you need to look at there.”
Servais has often spoken about the importance of following health and safety protocols since the pandemic began, and the club’s efforts to educate about the vaccine.
“I keep saying ultimately it is a personal decision, but organizationally from from ownership to front office to myself, our coaching staff, you just try to help educate players,” Servais said. “Coach them up so to speak. ... I just try to put the information in front of them and hope they make good choices.
“I’m disappointed. I really didn’t want to see anything like this happen, just from the health and safety of our players and certainly their families. You’re always very concerned. But again, it’s the world we live in, we’ve had to deal with it, not just our team, but many teams across baseball, so we’ll get through it.”
The Mariners made another move ahead of Sunday’s series finale, placing veteran reliever Kendall Graveman on the IL, though without a designation, and recalling Mills again.
Other notable moves in the past week included claiming catcher Jacob Nottingham — who has played first base in place of White — and selecting catcher Jose Godoy from Triple-A Tacoma, while optioning catcher Luis Torrens to the Rainiers on Thursday.
Reliever Brady Lail and utility player Jose Marmolejos were designated for assignment as part of Thursday’s moves. Lail was claimed by the Phillies on Sunday, while Marmolejos cleared waivers and was outrighted to Tacoma.
Infielder Jack Mayfield was recalled from Tacoma on Wednesday to give the Mariners more infield options with Moore on the IL.
Servais said Sunday he expects the infield to get another boost in Seattle’s next series in Oakland, with France (left wrist inflammation) nearing a return.
Former Mariners outfielder Braden Bishop, who played collegiately at Washington, was claimed off waivers by the Giants on Monday. He joins his younger brother, Hunter, in San Francisco’s system.
GODOY MAKES HISTORY
Godoy, who signed with Seattle as a minor league free agent in November, and opened the season with Triple-A Tacoma, made history when he debuted last week.
The 26-year-old catcher entered Friday night’s loss to the Padres in the sixth inning as a defensive replacement, becoming the 20,000th player in history to play in a major league game. He grounded out and walked in his two plate appearances.
He made his first big league start behind the plate for the Mariners on Sunday.
Godoy, who is from Venezuala, signed with the Cardinals as an international free agent in 2011, and has played in parts of nine minor league seasons in both St. Louis’ and Seattle’s systems.
He was promoted to the big league club Thursday after hitting 9-for-29 (.310) with six runs scored, two home runs and six RBI with the Rainiers this season. He has a career batting average of .275 in 468 career games in the minors.
Godoy is the sixth player to make his big league debut for the Mariners this season, joining outfielder Taylor Trammell, reliever Will Vest, reliever Wyatt Mills, starter Logan Gilbert and outfielder Jarred Kelenic.
PITCHERS WHO HIT
Mariners pitcher Justus Sheffield — yes, pitcher — collected his first big league hit during Saturday’s loss to the Padres.
In his first plate appearance of the game, the 25-year-old left-hander jumped on a fastball from San Diego starter Ryan Weathers, and dropped it into left center for a base hit.
Sheffield signaled for the ball once he reached first base as his teammates smiled and applauded from the bench, and it was eventually returned to Seattle’s dugout.
Sheffield said he used infielder Donovan Walton’s bat in his first plate appearance of the season. He is now 1-for-4 in his career at the plate.
“That felt good,” Sheffield said postgame. “First time I got in the box in a couple years. I kept telling guys I was going to get a knock, and ended up getting one, so that was a good positive for tonight.”
Sheffield became the first Mariners pitcher to pick up a hit since Marco Gonzales doubled against the Pirates in Pittsburgh in 2019.
Mariners pitcher Justin Dunn checked in with his first big league hit during Sunday’s series finale against the Padres, crushing a high cutter to right off Padres starter Yu Darvish for an RBI double.
ON DECK
The Mariners travel to Oakland for a three-game series beginning Monday. Yusei Kikuchi, whose scheduled Sunday start was pushed back a day, is scheduled to start the first game of the series.
Seattle has not named a starter for Tuesday’s game, while Gilbert is projected to make his third big league start in Wednesday’s finale.
The club returns home Thursday for a seven-game homestand against the Rangers and A’s.
This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
