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Seattle Mariners fire longtime manager Scott Servais and hitting coach Jarret DeHart amid midseason skid

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Seattle Mariners fire longtime manager Scott Servais and hitting coach Jarret DeHart amid midseason skid


One day after being swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Seattle Mariners have fired longtime manager Scott Servais and has replaced him with former Mariners All-Star catcher Dan Wilson. Earlier on Thursday, The Athletic reported that Servais losing his job was imminent.

In a statement released Thursday, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto confirmed that Servais will be replaced by Wilson. Wilson, a member of the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame, has no previous management experience, but has been brought in by the Mariners as a special assignment coordinator for spring training for the past few years.

“We believe that we need a new voice in the clubhouse,” Dipoto said in the statement, praising Wilson as “a key member” of the organization. “He is well respected within and outside of the clubhouse, and we are confident he will do a great job in leading our group over the final six weeks of the season and moving forward.”

Per the statement, Wilson will manage his first game on Friday, as the Mariners hope to reverse a midseason collapse with a home series against the San Francisco Giants.

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In the statement, Dipoto also thanked Servais for his nine years with the team. “He has poured his passion into the team and our community and I know I speak for the entire Mariners organization in thanking him for his hard work,” he said.

Servais, who has managed the Mariners since 2016, helped end the team’s postseason drought in 2022 but has been unable to reverse the tide on another mediocre season and a disastrous midseason slump in 2024. The Mariners, who at one point held a 10-game lead in their division, have since fallen to five games back of the Astros in the AL West.

The Mariners also fired hitting coach Jarret DeHart, who has been with the team since 2018 and who was promoted to the position in 2021.

Seattle started the season strong but has struggled in the past few weeks: The team is now well behind the Astros and has lost eight of its past 10 to fall to .500 with a 64-64 record.

Despite some incredibly strong performances on the mound from star pitchers such as Logan Gilbert, Bryce Miller, George Kirby and Luis Castillo, Seattle has struggled immensely on offense. The Mariners lead the league in strikeouts with 1,308 and have recorded the fewest hits (903) and lowest batting average (.216) in the league.

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The Mariners fired bench coach and offensive coordinator Brant Brown in May, but the initial improvement on offense quickly fell apart as Seattle’s lineup reverted back to struggling.

Seattle fans will still fondly remember Servais for his management in 2022, when he led the long-suffering Mariners to the postseason for the first time since 2001 — ending a 21-year playoff drought, the longest active drought in all of North American professional sports at the time. Seattle clinched a wild-card berth that year and advanced to the AL divisional series before getting swept by the Astros.

But Servais’ tenure was also filled with seasons that failed to meet expectations. In 2016, his first season with the team, Seattle fell just short of the postseason after an unexpected playoff push. The same thing happened in 2021, when the Mariners were in playoff contention until the final day, and in 2023, when Seattle finished one game out of a playoff berth.

With its lead suddenly lost, Seattle looks to be hurtling toward a similar fate this season. Given that the AL West is one of the weakest divisions in baseball, the Mariners would likely need to win the division to secure a playoff spot. But they sit five games back in the AL West and 7.5 games back of the final AL wild-card spot as of Thursday.

Seattle has not won a World Series in the team’s 47-year history, and it’s one of five teams in MLB that has failed to win a pennant. If the Mariners fall short yet again, it’s likely that Dipoto — who has already infuriated fans with comments implying that the team wasn’t aiming for a World Series — will be on the hot seat next.

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The team will now reportedly turn to Wilson, who caught for Seattle from 1994 to 2005. Per The Seattle Times, Wilson has become a mentor and good luck charm for current Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh during his tenure as a special assignment coordinator.

Additionally, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, Mariners legend Edgar Martinez will join Wilson, his former teammate, on the coaching staff. Martinez, a seven-time All-Star who played with the Mariners from 1987 to 2004, served as the hitting coach in Seattle from 2015 to 2018 and has been a special advisor since then.

Seattle will look to these two former players to help the team navigate the final 34 games of the regular season.

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Seattle Seahawks Injury Updates: Status of trio of DBs

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Seattle Seahawks Injury Updates: Status of trio of DBs


There were Seattle Seahawks injury updates on Friday regarding three defensive backs coming out of the Hawks’ overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.

Seahawks’ Derick Hall suspended one game for stepping on player

Here’s a look at the updates, as well as insight from head coach Mike Macdonald and additional information from ESPN NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler.

• The biggest concern for the Seahawks coming out of the game is safety Coby Bryant, who has a knee injury. Macdonald said in a press conference Friday that Bryant would “get imaged,” meaning undergo an MRI. Fowler reported on social media that, per sources, Bryant is “expected to miss ‘some time’ based on initial tests.”

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• Cornerback Riq Woolen has a knee concern of his own, but Fowler reported that it’s “not considered serious” and that, per a source, Woolen “more so got ‘banged up.’”

• Versatile defensive back Nick Emmanwori was evaluated for a concussion late in Thursday’s game, but Macdonald said he cleared concussion protocol.

The Seahawks improved to 12-3 with their win over the Rams, giving them a one-game lead over Los Angeles for both first place in the NFC West and the No. 1 seed to the postseason out of the NFC. The Seahawks also clinched a playoff spot with the dramatic comeback victory.

The next Seahawks game will be at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28 on the road against the Carolina Panthers (7-7). Radio coverage on Seattle Sports will begin at 7 a.m. that day with the pregame show.

More Seattle Seahawks coverage

• Macdonald explains Seahawks’ game-winning 2-point decision
• Brock Huard: The reason Sam Darnold was able to beat Rams
• Where Seahawks’ No. 1 seed odds stand after epic win
• Stacy Rost: Seahawks dramatically flip script to beat Rams
• Anatomy of a comeback: How Seattle Seahawks stunned Rams

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Seattle brings losing streak into game against San Jose

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Seattle brings losing streak into game against San Jose


Seattle Kraken (12-14-6, in the Pacific Division) vs. San Jose Sharks (17-15-3, in the Pacific Division)

San Jose, California; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Seattle Kraken look to end a four-game losing streak with a victory over the San Jose Sharks.

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San Jose is 17-15-3 overall and 4-4-2 against the Pacific Division. The Sharks have conceded 117 goals while scoring 104 for a -13 scoring differential.

Seattle is 12-14-6 overall with a 5-4-0 record in Pacific Division play. The Kraken have a -20 scoring differential, with 79 total goals scored and 99 conceded.

The matchup Saturday is the third time these teams square off this season. The Kraken won 4-1 in the last meeting. Jaden Schwartz led the Kraken with two goals.

TOP PERFORMERS: William Eklund has eight goals and 14 assists for the Sharks. Tyler Toffoli has five goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

Vince Dunn has five goals and 14 assists for the Kraken. Chandler Stephenson has four goals and three assists over the past 10 games.

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LAST 10 GAMES: Sharks: 5-5-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.9 assists, 2.9 penalties and 5.8 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.

Kraken: 1-9-0, averaging 2.2 goals, 4.1 assists, 3.9 penalties and 9.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.6 goals per game.

INJURIES: Sharks: None listed.

Kraken: None listed.

___

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.



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Roster Moves: Seattle Seahawks activate Young off IR

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Roster Moves: Seattle Seahawks activate Young off IR


The Seattle Seahawks activated wide receiver Dareke Young from injured reserve and elevated running back Cam Akers and offensive tackle Amari Knight off the practice squad Thursday ahead of their pivotal primetime showdown against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field.

Bump & Stacy: 3 keys for Seattle Seahawks to beat the Rams

Young, 26, has missed Seattle’s past eight games with a quadricep injury. The fourth-year pro is a key special teams member for the Seahawks and was on the field for over 50% of the team’s special teams snaps in each of the six games he’s played this season. He has seven tackles and 10 kickoff returns for 322 yards. He also has two receptions for 48 yards.

Akers, 26, would be making his Seahawks debut against his former team if he gets into Thursday’s game. He played in three games for the Minnesota Vikings earlier this season and totaled 19 yards on five carries.

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A sixth-year pro, Akers spent three-plus seasons with the Rams after they selected him in the second round of the 2020 draft out of Florida State. Akers’ best season with Los Angeles came in 2022 when he rushed for career highs of 786 yards and seven touchdowns. He has 2,044 yards and 13 TDs on the ground in 56 career NFL games.

Knight, 24, provides the Seahawks with some depth at tackle with starting left tackle Charles Cross ruled out for Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury. Veteran backup Josh Jones is getting the start in place of Cross.

Knight went undrafted out of UCF and made his pro debut in Seattle’s Week 4 win over Arizona.

The Seahawks face the Rams on Thursday night at 5:15 p.m. Radio coverage begins at 2 p.m. with the pregame show on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle sports app. 

Seattle Seahawks coverage

• Breaking down everything at stake in Seahawks-Rams showdown
• Seattle Seahawks rule out LT Charles Cross for showdown vs Rams
• How Seattle Seahawks and L.A. Rams stack up in NFL power rankings
• Do Rams have Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold’s number?
• Huard: Shaheed will be X-factor for Seattle Seahawks’ stretch run

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