The Seattle Mariners got J.P. Crawford back on Tuesday, activating the veteran shortstop from the injured list after a stretch lost to left wrist inflammation. Crawford had not played since July 29, and his return comes after a season that has already been interrupted by three separate trips to the IL.
To make room on the roster, Seattle optioned infielder Leo Rivas to Triple-A.
Crawford has been a steady presence in Seattle for a long time. He’s a 10-year veteran of the Mariners and has spent eight seasons with the club since arriving before the 2019 season.
Earlier this summer, he was named one of the Top 50 players in team history. Over his career, he’s hit .245 with 77 home runs and 374 RBIs.
This year hasn’t gone smoothly for him. Crawford is batting .212, but he has still managed to draw walks and post a .330 on-base percentage. Even with those flashes, he has appeared in only 87 of Seattle’s 132 games so far and has added 10 homers and 30 RBIs.
His return also reshuffles the infield picture. Earlier in the season, Crawford moved to third base to open shortstop for rookie Colt Emerson, but Emerson is now on the injured list with a wrist issue and is out for the rest of the year.
That puts Crawford back in the mix at shortstop, where Seattle gets a familiar option even if the defensive numbers have been rough. He ranks in the second percentile in range and has minus-9 outs above average, including his time at third.
With Rivas gone, Brock Rodden appears to be the next man up as the backup at shortstop, and he could also get looks at third base. Update: Crawford is starting at third base, and Rodden is starting at shortstop. Wouldn't you know it?
The Rivas move stands out a bit, since Rodden is still a rookie with less than two weeks of experience. It also keeps Patrick Wisdom on the roster.
Wisdom is expected to be in the lineup on Wednesday against left-hander Jesus Luzardo at T-Mobile Park. He has 32 home runs at Triple-A this season and one in the majors, though he’s batting just .122 in 41 at-bats.
Rivas, 28, has had a rough season overall, hitting .147 in the big leagues. Still, he’s shown some life lately. He went 3-for-10 over his last five games and delivered a game-winning hit Friday night against the Chicago Cubs, then came through again with a key ninth-inning hit in Saturday’s 5-4 walk-off win.
There’s a possibility he’s back in the picture when rosters expand on Sept. 1.
In Other News...
J.P. Crawfords Return Just Created A New Mariners Infield Debate
J.P. Crawford is back on the Mariners active roster after a rehab stint, and his return immediately reshapes the infield picture. With Colt Emerson now out for the season after wrist surgery, Seattle is no longer dealing with a short-term patch at shortstop. Instead, the club has to sort out how to manage the position now that its regular is available again and the depth chart has been altered by injuries and roster moves.
Seattles latest shuffle also sent Leo Rivas to Tacoma while keeping rookie Brock Rodden in the majors, a sign the front office is still weighing how much it wants to lean on experience versus giving a younger player a longer look. Crawfords return settles one part of the equation, but it leaves the Mariners with a familiar late-season question: how much stability they want in the middle infield, and how much flexibility theyre willing to keep as they try to cover the rest of the way. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Suddenly Have A New Roster Problem Fans Can't Ignore
Kade Andersons debut gave the Mariners another look at a left-handed arm with real upside, but the bigger roster picture around him has only gotten busier. Shortstop Colt Emersons move to Triple-A came with the kind of gut-punch update the organization did not need, while the club also continues sorting through injury news involving Matt Brash and Bryan Woo, two pitchers whose availability matters to just about every layer of the staff.
Jhonathan Daz being outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma adds another wrinkle, and the depth chart talk does not stop there with prospect Ace Reese drawing attention in recent reports. Even the broader conversation around former Mariners reliever Trent Thornton and the possibility of a lockout affecting minor league games has only sharpened the sense that Seattle is trying to manage immediate needs while keeping one eye on the pipeline, because the roster churn may not be done yet. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Farm System Suddenly Has Three Names Fans Need To Watch
Ryan Sloan keeps making the Mariners farm system look deeper than it seemed a few months ago. The 20-year-old right-hander in Double-A just turned in one of the loudest outings in the organization, throwing five innings of one-hit ball, allowing one run, walking none and striking out 11. For a club that always has an eye on pitching development, performances like that tend to get attention quickly, especially when they come from a player young for the level.
Seattles system also has plenty going on elsewhere. Reese, the clubs 2026 first-round pick, has been productive in Single-A with a strong batting average and on-base profile, while High-A catcher Luke Stevenson has paired a lower batting average with real impact, including 18 home runs, 74 RBIs and a healthy walk rate. The three names give the Mariners a useful snapshot of why the prospect conversation has picked up again, even if each player still has a different next step to prove. [Read more 🡒]