By Paul L. Taylor Posted on

Mariners continue to battle against adversity on and off the field

Just when things seemed to be coming together, Brendan Donovan heads to the IL as the Seattle Mariners go from one issue to another.

This has already been an interesting start to the 2026 season for the Mariners. In fact it’s at the point you can say it’s been almost too interesting so far, inducing feelings of frustration and anxiety in a fanbase more than used to dealing with these emotions over the past five decades.

Fans just don’t know where they stand with this team – every time the Mariners seem to be on a downward spiral they surprise everyone with a winning streak, and vice versa. A five-game losing streak on the road was followed by a rare four-game home sweep of the Astros, while another four-game losing skid preceded an impressive series win versus the Rangers.

By extension, the unpredictability unsurprisingly manifests itself in the players on an individual level. Let’s be honest, no matter how good Emerson Hancock was during spring training, no one expected him to be as impressive as he has been for the most part up to this point in the regular season.

That’s exactly where we are though, with Hancock currently leading the rotation with a 0.872 WHIP and ranking second-best with a 2.83 ERA. Although when you add in the Mariners’ usual dose of bad luck, of course his strong showing has been neutralized by Luis Castillo’s rough start to 2026, highlighted by a 5.40 ERA, 1.800 WHIP and -0.4 bWAR .

Mariners will miss what Brendan Donovan brings to the club

On the subject of bad luck, the Mariners experienced some more on Monday with the news Brendan Donovan had been placed on the 10-day Injured List with a left groin muscle strain, retroactive to April 18. The offseason trade acquisition has been a huge offensive boost, as evidenced by a .304 batting average, .954 OPS and 179 OPS+.

Obviously losing one of the more consistent bats in the lineup is a blow for a club which ranks 28th with a .218 batting average and 23rd with a .675 OPS. Speaking ahead of Monday’s home series opener versus the Athletics, Mariners manager Dan Wilson said:

“It’s something that we originally thought was day-to-day. I don’t think it’s something that’s going to keep him out a long time, but it definitely warranted an IL stint at this point.”

Donovan tweaked his groin area during last Thursday’s series finale in San Diego, but it was only after undergoing imaging that it was revealed the issue was slightly more severe than first believed. There’s also been some suggestion this is a lingering effect of the sports hernia surgery he underwent following the conclusion of last season with the Cardinals.

In any event, it makes sense that the Mariners are taking a cautious approach with a player who has already established himself as a leader in the clubhouse. Wilson said:

“I am not a medical person so it’s hard for me to speak on it. But from what I understand, a lot of people that have had a similar surgery battle with this kind of stuff. This is just something that we’re going to take as cautiously as we can. It’s early and I want to give him the best chance to get back and be 100 percent.”

Dan Wilson discusses Will Wilson’s call up

As a result of Donovan being placed on the Injured List, infielder Will Wilson was called up from Triple-A Tacoma and his first appearance for the Mariners will double as his Major League debut. Meanwhile, utility man Miles Mastrobuoni was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day Injured List to make room for Wilson on the 40-man roster.

Wilson was asked about what his namesake will bring to the Mariners. He said:

“He did a really nice job for us spring training. He can play around the infield which is really big for us. And can fill in spots there which, with BD being down, would be really helpful.”

Understandably, there was some question about why the Mariners’ top-rated prospect Colt Emerson wasn’t called up, but he’s been dealing with left wrist soreness. This kept him out of the Rainiers lineup on Sunday, and while it’s not serious, he’s still expected to miss a couple more games.

As such, Leo Rivas is expected to start the majority of the time at third base during Donovan’s absence, although Wilson will potentially get the start in games versus southpaws. As for in the lineup, Crawford seems best-placed to take over batting first in the lineup, where he’s played the majority of his career and with .967 OPS in four games there so far this season.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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