Seattle, WA
Could Seattle Mariners' injuries hasten prospect callups?
The Seattle Mariners’ infield was already a question mark heading into the season.
After a brutal stretch of injuries, it’s now a major concern.
Debuting new torpedo bat, Cal Raleigh makes Mariners history
Second baseman Ryan Bliss needs surgery to repair a torn biceps and is expected to be out four to five months. Switch-hitter Jorge Polanco, who was slated to be the team’s everyday third baseman, is dealing with a sore oblique that’s limited him to a left-handed designated hitter role.
And with right fielder Victor Robles expected to miss at least 12 weeks with a shoulder injury, Luke Raley is moving from a part-time role at first-base into an everyday role in right field.
With their infield depth stretched thin, could the Mariners accelerate their timeline for calling up highly touted second baseman Cole Young and third baseman Ben Williamson from Triple-A Tacoma?
Mariners insider Shannon Drayer, who was asked that question Friday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, doesn’t expect the organization to adjust its plans for either of the two prospects. With Young and Williamson each having spent just two weeks at the Triple-A level, Drayer thinks the Mariners will remain careful not to rush their development.
“I don’t think anybody is going to be rushed – and certainly not at this point of the season – because of what’s going on right now,” Drayer said. “You still have time to give them time, which I’m sure nobody wants to hear right now, but it’s kind of the reality of the situation.
“So I don’t think that we see them right away. I think we see them when they’re ready. … (And) I don’t think either are there right now, so I don’t think that would be an option.”
Young, a 2022 first-round high school draft pick, is MLB Pipeline’s No. 46 overall prospect and Baseball America’s No. 53 overall prospect. At just 21 years old, he opened the season as the second-youngest player in the Pacific Coast League, according to Baseball America.
Known for his smooth left-handed swing and advanced bat-to-ball skills, Young hit .271 with nine home runs and a .759 OPS in 124 games at Double-A Arkansas last year. But he’s gotten off to a slow start at Triple-A Tacoma, batting just .178 with one triple, two doubles and a .569 OPS in 45 at-bats.
Drayer thinks sometime around midseason would be a reasonable point for Young to make his MLB debut.
“These guys coming up – especially your higher-round picks, the guys that you have been touting for a long time – you don’t want them to come up and struggle or fail. … This could be your future second baseman here. You’re going to bring him up at the right time.”
Williamson, a 2023 second-round pick, is a top-15 prospect in Seattle’s farm system according to both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. The 24-year-old third baseman is known for his elite defense, which he’s already showcased with multiple highlight-reel plays at Tacoma this season.
Williamson doesn’t have much power, with just four homers in 148 career minor-league games. But he does have a .282 batting average in the minors, including a .286 average with three doubles and a .661 OPS in 49 at-bats at Tacoma this season.
Drayer said Williamson’s bat will ultimately determine when he arrives in Seattle.
“Ben Williamson could come up tomorrow and win a Gold Glove at third base,” Drayer said. “That’s probably a little bit of a stretch, but he can be that good from what the scouts are saying, and we certainly saw evidence of that in spring training.
“But if he’s not hitting, that’s gonna affect his fielding as well. So they want to be careful with these guys.”
Listen to the full conversation with Mariners insider Shannon Drayer at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
Seattle Mariners news and analysis
• MLB Network’s Morosi on Seattle Mariners: 1 good sign, 1 bad sign
• What it means for M’s that AquaSox may be ‘best team’ in minors
• Mariners’ Cal Raleigh details 2 standout pitches he’s catching
• Why Seattle Mariners should be looking at free agent DH J.D. Martinez
• ‘He’s so electric’: Arozarena brings spark to Seattle Mariners
Seattle – March has been off to a very wet start. We have already surpassed the normal monthly rainfall total by an inch with more on the way next week. The atmospheric river event we were tracking wrapped up yesterday and our area rivers have crested and continue to recede. The rain also triggered a landslide on I-5 near Bellingham. Fortunately, the risk of additional landslides is also decreasing.
It’s been a wet start to the month with more than 5″ of rain already recorded so far.
We’ve enjoyed a pleasant, dry first weekend of Spring. Much of Sunday is also expected to be dry. A weak system is forecast to brush by which may bring a few sprinkles with it to a few spots. A few stray flurries are also possible in the mountains.
The much-needed break in rain will continue. Only a stray shower is possible on Sunday.
The cold front which swept through yesterday, ending the days-long rain, also brought some cooler air with it. Afternoon highs will remain slightly below normal on Sunday.
Highs near normal on Sunday with some afternoon sunbreaks.
While Sunday and Monday remain mostly dry, a more significant weather system is expected to move into the region on Tuesday, bringing widespread rain to the lowlands and snow to the mountain passes along with breezy winds.
Increasing clouds Monday with rain returning by Tuesday. Snow in the mountains.
PEORIA, Ariz. – Seattle Mariners camp has been a flurry of activity since the return of the last group of players from the World Baseball Classic. There have been innings and at-bats to be found, schedules and lineups scrambled, whatever it takes to get in the work they need for what in just a few short days will be the 26-man roster.
Mariners re-assign Colt Emerson to minor league camp
Somewhere amongst that flurry of activity, a long-awaited conversation was had, according to Randy Arozarena.
About about two hours before the Mariners’ Cactus League game against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night, Arozarena put out a statement via the team that addressed the WBC incident between him and teammate Cal Raleigh.
“I understand that with Opening Day a few days away, I don’t want it to be a distraction,” Arozarena said. “Cal and I have talked and I apologized for what I said after the game. Nothing in the WBC takes away from the fact that we are brothers and teammates. He’s family, and we are both focused on helping the Mariners win the World Series.”
The statement echoes much of the sentiment of Raleigh’s comments to members of the Seattle media the morning after he refused Arozarena’s handshake in the March 9 WBC game between the United States and Mexico, which prompted postgame comments from Arozarena that spurred unwanted attention on the Mariners.
“I love Randy,” Raleigh said back on March 10. “I have all the respect for him and Team Mexico. I already reached out to him personally to talk with him. And obviously, when we’re back in Seattle, we’re family, we’re brothers, and I’ll do anything for him. I’ll do anything for our team to win.”
Neither player would want anything within their control to put achieving the Mariners’ lofty goals they have set this season in jeopardy. It is likely those words alone from Arozarena would have helped close the door on the incident. The fact he said he apologized to Raleigh for his comments at the WBC in Houston hopefully helps lock that door and put the focus back on what happens on the field, as has been the case with the players in Peoria all along.
An unpleasant sidenote to the WBC should not be a season-changing episode for a team that has put itself in the position the Mariners have.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• Seattle Mariners’ Cole Young blasts 478-foot moonshot home run
• Seattle Mariners release their first commercial for 2026 season
• 3 standouts from Seattle Mariners’ Spring Breakout game
• Gilbert’s final spring start features surprises from Raleigh
• Callis: Seattle Mariners have MLB’s best pitching prospect duo
Looking to extend the country’s longest non-conference home win streak to 66, Auburn (18-16) hosts Seattle U (21-13) Sunday at 5:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2 and the Auburn Sports Network (106.7 FM), where Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will describe the action for listeners.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:
- Auburn’s win over South Alabama extended the Tigers’ nation-best non-conference home winning streak to 65 straight games. It’s a streak that dates back to the 2016-17 season.
- The Tigers made a season high 16 3-pointers against South Alabama and tied a school record with 44 3-point attempts.
- Kevin Overton made seven 3-pointers (all in the second half) against South Alabama and now has 80 triples this season. He is four 3-pointers away from cracking the top 10 for single-season 3-pointers at Auburn.
- With 636 points this season, Keyshawn Hall is ninth on Auburn’s single-season scoring list. Hall notched his 18th game of scoring 20 or more points against South Alabama with 21 points against the Jags.
- Led by Will Heimbrodt’s 86 blocks this season, Seattle U ranks 12th nationally in blocks per game (4.9) and is also top 25 in scoring defense (66.6 – 23rd) and turnovers forced (14.94 – 21st). Heimbrodt is the WCC Defensive Player of the Year.
There’s nothing mid-major about Seattle U’s defense.
Auburn’s second-round NIT opponent, the Redhawks, rank No. 23 in the country in scoring defense, allowing fewer than 67 points per game.
“One of the better defensive teams we’ll have gone against all year,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “Incredibly active, they really fly around and make what you do really difficult.”
After defeating South Alabama 78-67 on Tuesday in the opening round of the NIT, Auburn hosts Seattle U on Sunday. The Redhawks advanced to round two by defeating St. Thomas (MN) 67-52.
“Our guys are going to have to show up and be excited about playing because if we don’t, this is a team that is capable, defensively, of making you look bad,” Pearl said.
Seattle U ranks No. 12 nationally in forcing turnovers, causing nearly 15 per game while blocking almost five shots per game (No. 21) and holding teams to 41.5-percent shooting (No. 42).
“They play hard, and that makes your defense so much better when you give multiple efforts like that at all five positions,” Pearl said.
Against the Jaguars’ zone defense in round one, Auburn hit a season-high 16 3-pointers, with Kevin Overton swishing seven.
“He knows that every time he shoots the ball, we think it’s going in,” Pearl said. “We can’t change what we do a ton because what we do has been effective, offensively, but we also have to understand that this is a really good defensive team, and we have to be disciplined in a lot of things we’re doing.”
Redhawks No Stranger to Big Names
Like Auburn, which earned high-profile victories this season over Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, and St. John’s, Seattle U also has brag-worthy wins at Stanford and at home against Washington, Washington State, and Oregon State.
Representing the West Coast Conference, Seattle U would like nothing better than to end the season for a Southeastern Conference opponent on Auburn’s home court.
“I know this is going to be an important one for them,” Pearl said. “It’s an important one for us as well. Our guys, once we show them the film, they’re going to realize pretty quickly how real and how legit these guys are.”
“This game is an important one for both groups,” Pearl said. “We’re going to have to play well to beat them. It’s another great opportunity to compete against a really good team from a great conference.”
What happens next for the Auburn Tigers? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Auburn Tigers news delivered to your inbox daily!
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer
Heartbreak in Minneapolis: Ole Miss Falls to Minnesota 65-63 in Final Seconds – The Rebel Walk
IND airport travelers react to ICE to help TSA Monday
3 juveniles arrested, 20 treated for pepper spray exposure after fight in Market Square
Big Middle Innings Lift Augusta Past Georgia College – Augusta University
Storm Team4 Forecast: Chance of severe storms before cooler Monday
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
Video: ICE Agents Will Be Deployed to U.S. Airports, White House Confirms
Schumer knocks Trump on Iran, plan to send ICE to airports: ‘Asking for trouble’
‘Risk of escalation is extremely high as Iran shows it can retaliate’
Immigration agents deploying to airports under border czar as TSA staffing falls short | CNN Politics
Video: Former F.B.I. Director Robert Mueller Dies at 81
-
Detroit, MI4 days agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Oklahoma1 week agoFamily rallies around Oklahoma father after head-on crash
-
Nebraska1 week agoWildfire forces immediate evacuation order for Farnam residents
-
Georgia7 days agoHow ICE plans for a detention warehouse pushed a Georgia town to fight back | CNN Politics
-
Alaska1 week agoPolice looking for man considered ‘armed and dangerous’
-
Science1 week agoFederal EPA moves to roll back recent limits on ethylene oxide, a carcinogen
-
Science1 week agoH5N1 bird flu spreads to sea otters and sea lions along San Mateo coast, wildlife experts say
-
Movie Reviews4 days ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India