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
We survived it last year, barely, but now we’re in for several “months of Hell” as closures of northbound I-5 across the Ship Canal Bridge return.
You deserve a pat on the back if you survived the “month of Hell” between July and August last summer.
You might need therapy to survive what’s about to happen.
Four ‘months of hell’ inbound
Four “months of Hell” will start this weekend with a full closure of northbound I-5 from downtown Seattle to University District. The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) needs the weekend to set up a work zone across the Ship Canal Bridge.
Come next Monday, the two left lanes of the northbound Ship Canal Bridge will be closed 24/7, and this is going to last for four months.
I spoke with Tom Pearce, a communications specialist for WSDOT, about the upcoming work last year.
“We will work for about four months, and then we will pause and pick everything up when the World Cup comes to town,” Pearce said. “When the World Cup ends, we will have another weekend-long closure, reset the work zone, and then we’ll start to work on the right lanes of the northbound Ship Canal Bridge.”
And that will come with a second four-month chunk of lane closures.
I’m not sure if you remember just how bad these similar closures were for that one month last summer, but it was absolutely brutal.
To help with the traffic flow, WSDOT kept the I-5 express lanes open in the northbound direction the entire time. The rationale is that it is the direction of travel of the closures.
What that created was a daily one-hour delay, or more, for southbound I-5 drivers. Tens of thousands of southbound drivers use those express lanes every morning, and with that option gone, they had to stay in the main line, creating a daily five-mile backup to the Edmonds exit down to Northgate.
“We know that it was difficult for travelers, particularly for southbound in the morning on I-5,” Pearce said. “People did well at adapting and using other transportation methods and adjusting their schedules. It went relatively well.”
WSDOT is using all the data it collected during that month of closures and is using to help with congestion this time around.
Here’s the setup going forward
Northbound I-5 will be closed through the downtown corridor all weekend. When it reopens on Monday, only the right two lanes will be open until June 5. That weekend, the entire northbound freeway will be closed to remove the work zone.
The work will take a break during the World Cup until July 10. Then, northbound I-5 will be reduced to just two left lanes until the end of the year. The end date hasn’t been released. It was originally scheduled to wrap up in November.
This is going to cause significant delays around Seattle. My best advice is to alter your schedule and get on the road at least an hour earlier than normal.
And if you think you’ll just jump on the light rail out of Lynnwood to avoid the backup, you’re going to need a plan. That parking lot is full by 7 a.m. most mornings. It will likely be filled earlier than that going forward.
Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.
Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully
As the holiday season ends, a new week begins, and one of the biggest events this week will be 2026’s first West Seattle Art Walk. The second Thursday is as early as it can get this month – on the 8th – so set your calendar for this Thursday as a special night to get out and enjoy the work of local artists. A preview with this quarter’s map/list and Thursday highlights should appear early in the week on the West Seattle Art Walk website. As usual, neighborhood organizations are supporting clusters of venues in Alki, Admiral, The Junction, and Morgan Junction; places with artist receptions usually start them at 5 pm. No Art of Music performances this month; that feature is on hiatus until later in the year.
DMV-chain Compass Coffee files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Cleveland Cavaliers get Max Strus injury update that fans won’t want to hear
Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death
Alabama offensive lineman transferring to Georgia Tech
Dozens of vehicle accidents reported, Anchorage after-school activities canceled, as snowfall buries Southcentral Alaska
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: Nvidia Shows Off New A.I. Chip at CES
Pelosi heir-apparent calls Trump’s Venezuela move a ‘lawless coup,’ urges impeachment, slams Netanyahu
EU Commission examines childlike sexual images created by Musk’s AI
Lawmakers split over Maduro’s seizure. And, CDC cuts childhood vaccine schedule
Federal officials to halt more than $10B in funding to 5 states over non-citizen benefit concerns: report
-
World1 week agoHamas builds new terror regime in Gaza, recruiting teens amid problematic election
-
News1 week agoFor those who help the poor, 2025 goes down as a year of chaos
-
Business1 week agoInstacart ends AI pricing test that charged shoppers different prices for the same items
-
World1 week agoPodcast: The 2025 EU-US relationship explained simply
-
Business1 week agoApple, Google and others tell some foreign employees to avoid traveling out of the country
-
Technology1 week agoChatGPT’s GPT-5.2 is here, and it feels rushed
-
Politics1 week ago‘Unlucky’ Honduran woman arrested after allegedly running red light and crashing into ICE vehicle
-
Health1 week agoDid holiday stress wreak havoc on your gut? Doctors say 6 simple tips can help