The Mariners are reaching for familiar depth again as they try to keep their season from slipping away in September.
Seattle entered the weekend only 4 1/2 games out of a postseason spot, a surprisingly live number for a team that has spent much of the year underachieving. That standing comes despite a rough campaign from some of the club’s biggest names: Cal Raleigh is on pace for one of the largest season-to-season drop-offs in MLB history, Julio Rodríguez has not delivered the kind of year that was expected, and even Josh Naylor has fallen short of his billing.
Into that mix comes Stuart Fairchild, who has been added to the roster for a second time this season after a brief and rocky run with the Guardians.
Fairchild’s first Mariners stint barely registered. He appeared once as a pinch-runner at the start of August, scored on Colt Emerson’s walk-off, and then was designated for assignment to open a roster spot for Brendan Donovan. He chose free agency after that move, but eventually returned to Seattle on a minor league deal and hit .895 OPS in 18 games with Triple-A Tacoma before getting called up again.
This latest promotion may not last long, either. Fairchild is filling the spot of Victor Robles, who was placed on the family medical emergency list. That list requires a minimum stay of three days and allows a maximum of seven.
The Mariners are getting a player who has already bounced through a familiar type of roster churn this year. Fairchild was with the Guardians in spring training, though he also spent that time starring for Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic. Cleveland brought him up at the end of May after placing Steven Kwan on the same family medical emergency list Robles just landed on.
His time with the Guardians went sideways quickly. Fairchild went 3-for-19 with 14 strikeouts and seven walks before being designated for assignment, then he headed back into free agency and signed a minor league deal with Seattle.
What he brings is clear enough: speed, defense, and the kind of versatility that makes a player useful as a fourth outfielder. It also tends to leave him living on the edge of the roster, because that role rarely comes with any real job security.
For now, though, Seattle will see if he can provide even a small spark while the club tries to hang around in the AL race. The stay in the Pacific Northwest could be brief, but the Mariners need every useful inning and every extra body they can get.
In Other News...
Guardians Suddenly Have Another Chase DeLauter Health Concern
Chase DeLauters latest interruption came in the middle of a game, when the Guardians outfielder left after injuring his right wrist in his second at-bat. Stephen Vogt said DeLauter is expected to be day-to-day and is already getting treatment for soreness and stiffness, another reminder that Cleveland has had to keep recalibrating around one of its most intriguing young players.
The wrist issue arrives just after DeLauter sat out a series against the Los Angeles Angels because of hamstring tightness, extending a stretch in which availability has been the bigger question than production. For a player trying to build momentum, the timing is frustrating, and for the Guardians it adds another layer of uncertainty to a roster that could use some stability from him. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Keep Ignoring A First Base Answer Fans Want To See
Ralphy Velazquez has done enough in Triple-A to keep his name in the conversation, especially with the Guardians still looking for more offense at first base. The prospects production has made him an obvious candidate for a look in Cleveland, and general manager Mike Chernoff even acknowledged that Velazquez has earned a promotion based on performance.
For now, though, the path is blocked by roster fit rather than merit. Chernoff said there is not a role for Velazquez on the major league club at the moment, and he also pushed back on the idea that any looming labor concerns are driving the decision. So the question around first base remains the same one fans have been asking: if Velazquez keeps forcing the issue, when does Cleveland finally make room? [Read more 🡒]
Guardians May Have Found A Bullpen Arm At The Perfect Time
Logan Allens start in Game 1 of the doubleheader against Detroit put Cleveland in an early hole, with the left-hander allowing five runs in just over two innings. The Guardians needed length from somewhere, and Slade Cecconi supplied it, covering 2 2/3 innings in relief and helping steady a game that eventually turned into a 7-6 walk-off win.
Cecconis outing mattered for more than just eating innings. It came after a recent absence tied to arm fatigue, and the pitch mix and velocity he showed against the Tigers were a reminder that Cleveland may have stumbled into a useful bullpen option at exactly the right time. For a team trying to piece together the middle innings, that kind of development can change the feel of a staff quickly. [Read more 🡒]