The Mariners spent Tuesday juggling rest, health and roster fit, with Dominic Canzone and Luke Raley both out of the lineup as the club looked to buy them time before Wednesday’s odd, mid-series off-day.
Canzone was held out to give him two full days off, a move that also lines up with the break created by the FIFA World Cup being played across the street. Raley sat for a third straight game because of left forearm discomfort, though manager Dan Wilson said he is still trending toward avoiding the injured list.
“Hopefully get them some really good rest here and as we pick up towards the end of the week, they'll be ready to roll,” Wilson said, adding Canzone likely would not be available off the bench.
Both players have wanted to keep pushing through their issues, but the Mariners are clearly choosing the safer route when the schedule allows it. General manager Justin Hollander had already addressed both situations Monday.
On Canzone, Hollander said, “We'll just see where it goes over a period of days. ... There may be some down days where he just needs a day between now and the All-Star break, so we'll just monitor that as it goes.”
On Raley, Hollander was even more direct: “Luke is pretty adamant that he can and wants to play through it. Luke is about the toughest player I've ever seen. ... So, if he says, ‘I can and want to play through it,’ my guess is he will.”
Canzone has been carrying the hot hand lately, batting .314 with a 1.028 OPS and six homers in June. Raley’s production has dipped this month - he’s hitting .125 with a .397 OPS - but he still shares the team home run lead with Julio Rodríguez at 14.
The Mariners also used Tuesday to ease Randy Arozarena back into the routine with his second start at designated hitter since coming off the injured list on June 23. It was another planned rest day for his legs after he returned from the right hamstring strain that sent him to the IL earlier in the month.
That shuffle pushed Victor Robles into left field and gave Weston Wilson his first start in right.
Arozarena is 4-for-25 with one double and one homer since returning.
“With Randy, having had the hamstring a little earlier, a chance for him to get a little bit of a break today and be more to the DH,” Wilson said. “So whenever we can get these guys as much rest as we can, we're going to try to do that, and this was a good day for that.”
Seattle also made a bullpen move Tuesday, bringing up right-hander Cole Wilcox from Triple-A Tacoma and sending left-hander Josh Simpson back down in a corresponding transaction.
The move was shaped by what’s coming next: a stretch of right-handed-heavy lineups against the Angels and Blue Jays for the rest of the homestand. Simpson had only just joined the Mariners over the weekend in Cleveland, brought in largely because the Guardians were stacking left-handed bats. He made one appearance there and gave up the game-winning double to Rhys Hoskins in Sunday’s loss.
Wilcox is back for a second stint with Seattle. He first arrived one day after Opening Day, when Carlos Vargas went on the injured list, and made 11 appearances before being optioned on May 4.
In that first run, he posted a 5.40 ERA with 12 walks and 15 strikeouts. Since returning to Tacoma, he has a 5.03 ERA with 24 strikeouts and six walks in 17 appearances.
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