Dan Wilson’s night ended abruptly Thursday in Seattle, and it came with the kind of flashpoint that can turn a routine inning into a dugout problem in a hurry.
The Mariners manager was ejected for the fourth time this season, and for the third time in the past month, during Seattle’s game against the Athletics. The sequence started in the top of the sixth inning when reliever Carlos Vargas gave up a solo homer to Donovan Walton and then, on the next batter, threw an 0-1 cutter that spun up and in and hit Brian Serven.
That brought home-plate umpire James Hoye and the rest of the crew together in front of the mound. After the four umpires met briefly, Hoye turned back and issued warnings to both benches.
Wilson didn’t let it go. He came out of the Mariners’ dugout looking for an explanation, and Hoye appeared to tell him to remain there. When Wilson kept pressing, Hoye tossed him.
The ejection added another entry to a season that’s seen Wilson get run more often than any Mariners manager in a while. His four ejections are the most by a Seattle skipper since Scott Servais also had four in 2022.
Wilson had already been ejected twice in a four-game stretch earlier in August. The first came on Aug. 5 against Detroit, when he was tossed along with reliever Gabe Speier after umpires in Seattle ruled Speier had hit Gleyber Torres intentionally. Later that same week, Wilson was ejected again after Julio Rodríguez was denied an ABS challenge.
In Other News...
Mariners Take A Chance On A Former Top Prospect With Upside
The Mariners added a familiar kind of lottery ticket to their pitching depth, signing right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson to a minor-league contract and sending him to Triple-A Tacoma. Once regarded as one of the better young arms in the system, Woods Richardson has already seen the majors with both the Blue Jays and Twins, and his path has taken him through a designation for assignment by Toronto before he elected free agency.
For Seattle, the move fits the sort of low-cost gamble contenders often make when they believe there is still something to unlock. Woods Richardson gives the organization another arm to evaluate in Tacoma, where the Mariners can keep a close eye on a pitcher who made his big-league debut in 2022 and is still young enough to factor if the stuff and command come together again. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Just Created A Connor Joe Question Fans Can't Ignore
The Mariners latest roster shuffle left Connor Joe in a familiar but uneasy spot. After Seattle designated Joe and right-hander Nolan Kingham for assignment to make room for Lzaro Montes and Hoby Milner on the 40-man roster, both players cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, keeping the move from being the end of the road for either player just yet.
Joe now has a decision to make, since he has the right to elect free agency, and the Mariners have not indicated whether he plans to stay in the organization or test the market. Kinghams path is more straightforward because his service time means he has to accept the assignment, but Joes situation is the one that lingers for Seattle, where every roster spot matters and every fringe move can hint at what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Have Found A Better Use For Their Latest Pitching Add
The Mariners added another arm to their system by signing right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson to a minor-league deal and sending him to Triple-A Tacoma. Most of his big-league work has come as a starter, but he has also handled multiple roles this season, which makes him an interesting fit for a Seattle pitching staff that suddenly needs more flexibility.
With rotation depth thinned by an injury, the appeal here is less about where Woods Richardson has traditionally worked and more about where he might help most. Seattle can use pitching in just about any form right now, and his ability to cover innings gives the club another option if it wants to patch a game together out of the bullpen or lean on a bulk reliever while the roster sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]