Mariners make roster moves as countdown to season continues

There’s plenty of news to consider with the Mariners right now, including roster moves, individual standout performances and injuries.

The Seattle Mariners have been extremely busy of late, as they continue to prepare for the beginning of the regular season at the end of this month. They will open the regular season at home on Mar. 28, with a four-game series versus the Boston Red Sox.

The start of this month saw the Mariners re-assign seven players to minor league camp. This included infielder Rangel Ravelo, as well as pitchers Holden Laws, Cory Abbott, Heath Hembree, Jimmy Joyce, Sean Poppen and Travis Kuhn.

This continued in earnest on Sunday, as executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations Justin Hollander announced more roster moves. More specifically, with eight further players being re-assigned to minor league camp.

This included catchers Jake Anchia and Matt Scheffler, as well as outfielders Spencer Packard and Alberto Rodriguez. In addition, infielders Kaden Polcovich, Brock Rodden, Leo Rivas and Hogan Windish.

Mariners roster breakdown

As a result of these moves, the Mariners now have 59 players at spring training, comprising 40 roster players and 19 non-roster invitees. This breaks down as 30 pitchers — 21 on the 40-man roster and nine non-roster invitees — and 29 position players — 19 on the 40-man-roster and 10 non-roster invitees.

In terms of results during spring training, it hasn’t been particularly good for the Mariners. Their 1-7 record at the time of posting sees them holding up the Cactus League, with the worst record among all 30 Major League teams.

• Seahawks Rookie Camp Day 1 Highlights
• Exploring Jadarian Price’s Impact on Seahawks’ Offense
• Seattle Storm’s Preseason Breakdown: Stats and Highlights
• Mariners complete strong road trip but Matt Brash causes concern
• Key Takeaways from Seattle Storm’s Thrilling Preseason Match

Standout performers

However, this doesn’t mean there haven’t been some promising moments, highlighted by Emerson Hancock’s outing versus the Oakland Athletics. Hancock pitched two scoreless innings as he made his claim for a spot in the rotation, retiring all six batters he faced, including recording three strikeouts.

Another pitcher worthy of note is Reid VanScoter, who has allowed just two hits and no runs in 4.0 combined innings, striking out a team-leading eight in the process. He was selected by the Mariner in the fifth round of the 2022 draft and is someone to look out for.

Offensively, Mitch Haniger has looked good in his return to the organization. He has so far recorded three hits in six at-bats, resulting in a home run and two RBI.

Another bat offering good results is Josh Rojas, who is projected to share third base duties with Luis Urías. He has produced four hits in 10 at-bats, including one homer, three RBI and two walks.

Injury news

On the subject of Urías, he has been dealing with inflammation in his right throwing shoulder. He started throwing infield drills on Friday and the hope is he will be ready for the start of the regular season.

Still on the injury front, Matt Brash is expected to begin throwing on Tuesday, although he will not be ready until at least mid-April as things stand. Meanwhile, fellow relief pitcher Eduard Bazardo is now listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

What’s stood out for you most so far with the Seattle Mariners during spring training, whether it be positive or negative? How optimistic are you about their playoff chances in 2024? Let us know in the comments section below.