The Mariners have brought Rob Refsnyder back from the ten-day injured list and, to make room, designated infielder Buddy Kennedy for assignment.
It’s the latest shuffle in Seattle’s effort to even out a position-player group that has leaned left-handed. Refsnyder was brought in during the offseason for exactly that reason. The Mariners signed the right-handed hitter to a one-year, $6.25MM deal because of his track record against lefties.
So far, the payoff hasn’t matched the price tag. Before right knee inflammation sent him to the IL about a month ago, Refsnyder was hitting .133/.203/.219 across 49 games. His .151 batting average on balls in play helped drag things down, but the underlying plate discipline numbers weren’t much kinder: a 5.9% walk rate and a 26.9% strikeout rate, both below league average and below his own career standards.
Kennedy’s time in Seattle was brief and quiet. The Mariners picked him up in late June when Refsnyder landed on the shelf, hoping another right-handed bat could help the mix.
Instead, Kennedy got just 11 plate appearances, struck out four times and collected only one hit, a double. Because he’s out of options, Seattle had to send him into DFA limbo.
He’ll likely hit waivers in the next few days. Kennedy has cleared waivers before and hasn’t been swinging it well lately, so there’s a decent chance he gets through again. If he does, he’ll have the ability to elect free agency.
There’s still some appeal in the profile. Kennedy owns a strong Triple-A track record, hitting .285/.393/.442 in the minors, and he brings defensive versatility with experience at all four infield spots and left field. But the big-league production has lagged behind, with a .167/.260/.259 line in 200 career plate appearances across multiple clubs.
Even with Refsnyder back on the active roster, his hold on that spot may not last. The Mariners are still said to be hunting for right-handed bats ahead of the deadline, and they’re reportedly open to discussing Luis Castillo or Emerson Hancock in that search. With the way Refsnyder has hit - and with the injury history attached - he could still find himself squeezed out of Seattle’s plans.
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