The Seattle Mariners have placed shortstop J.P. Crawford on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain, as announced by the team. Infielder Leo Rivas has been selected from Triple-A Tacoma to take Crawford’s spot on the roster. Additionally, right-handed pitcher Gregory Santos has been transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.
Crawford was scratched from yesterday’s game after experiencing tightness in his right oblique and underwent an MRI that revealed the strain. While the Mariners have not provided a timetable for his return, Grade 1 strains of an oblique can often sideline players for around a month. Manager Scott Servais stated that utilityman Dylan Moore will likely see the majority of the shortstop reps in Crawford’s absence.
Crawford had recently begun to improve his performance after a slow start to the 2024 season, hitting safely in nine of his past ten games and batting .275/.383/.360 during that stretch. Overall, he is hitting .198/.296/.302 this season.
Losing Crawford will impact the Mariners, as he had become their everyday leadoff man and a reliable presence at shortstop. Moore, who will likely replace him, has experience at shortstop but is considered a defensive downgrade compared to Crawford. Offensively, Moore has a .217/.344/.398 slash line since 2022, but he has been heavily platooned, which he won’t have the luxury of in an everyday role.
Rivas, 26, is making his MLB debut after a strong start in Triple-A, where he has a .308/.422/.462 slash line in 66 plate appearances. Known for his ability to get on base, Rivas lacks power but has shown defensive prowess, which Servais highlighted as a reason for his call-up following Crawford’s injury.
