Mariners’ J.P. Crawford takes drills ahead of rehab assignment

J.P. Crawford is set to return during the upcoming road trip, plus four reasons not to panic about an indifferent Mariners start to season.

There was a familiar sight on the field at T-Mobile Park during batting practice on Saturday, which alludes to some positive news for the Mariners. The sight in question was J.P. Crawford, who started the 2026 season on the 10-day injured list due to right shoulder soreness.

Crawford went through a light infield drill with infield coach Perry Hill and the athletic training staff, with the shortstop expected to remain in Seattle for the weekend. He’s eligible to be activated on Wednesday, but first things first he will undertake a minor league assignment, likely in Triple-A Tacoma.

The Mariners are aiming to bring the 2020 Gold Glove winner back sometime during their first road trip of the season, which takes place between Apr. 3-8 in Anaheim versus the Angels and then Arlington against the Rangers. Speak about him pregame on Saturday, manager Dan Wilson said:

“Yeah, a chance for our guys to get their eyes on him and see where his progression has been at, which has been very, very good … He took really good use of his time down in Arizona and got a ton of (at-bats).”

J.P. Crawford is a leader and one of the most popular players in the clubhouse

When the right shoulder issue first emerged, the Mariners said it was nothing to worry about, passed off as a case of wear and tear over time and with Crawford dealing with a similar issue around the same time last year. However, the situation lingered as he was limited to 18 plate appearances during spring and saw little time in the field.

In any event, the 31-year-old is now on course to return to the majors soon in what is expected by many to be his final season with the Mariners. Speaking about what he means to the team, Wilson said:

“We talk a lot about what a leader JP is for us, and especially when he’s in that lineup, and he’s going on a daily basis, just what he means up there. So getting him back as quickly as possible is huge, and he’s put in the work, he’s getting there, he’s getting ready, and it’s really good to see.”

Crawford has at times been a polarizing player for fans in what is now his eighth season with the Mariners, but in some ways he’s been underrated for what he’s achieved during his time in Seattle. His 5.2 bWAR season in 2023 is the highest ever in franchise history by any shortstop not named Alex Rodriguez, while he’s proven extremely clutch in the biggest of moments with a career .373 batting average when the bases are loaded.

4 reasons not to panic if you’re a Mariners fan who usually expects the worst

At 1-2 heading into Sunday’s series finale versus the Cleveland Guardians, the Mariners aren’t even two percent into the season and yet fans are already complaining about the indifferent performances of the team and Wilson’s in-game decision making. As such, we thought we’d share some statistics to calm those among the fanbase who have a propensity to fear the worst given the history of this team:

1) The Mariners started each of the previous three seasons 4-8 and yet are one of only four Major League teams to finish with 85+ wins every year since 2021. Of course the 4-8 start last year specifically turned into the best campaign in franchise history, with the team coming within eight outs of a first ever World Series berth.

2) As the (very) early-season criticism of Wilson tells us, some people are just never going to be on board with him, despite everything he brings to the team. Certainly he doesn’t get his due credit when his in-game decisions work, but irrespective, last season he was the first manager to lead the Mariners to the AL West title since 2001.

3) It’s undoubtedly been a rough start for Cal Raleigh in going 1-for-11 through three games with a Major League-high nine strikeouts, but keep in mind he began last year 0-for-9 up to the same point. Oh, and the first of his historic 60 home runs didn’t come until game five.

4) Julio Rodríguez has interestingly also started just 1-for-11, although at least that one hit showed his flare for clutch situations as it temporarily tied Saturday evening’s game at 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. In any event, he started the 2025 campaign just 1-for-9 through three games and went on to record a career-high 6.8 WAR.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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