Seattle’s infield picture is starting to take shape, and the Mariners got updates on two of the biggest names in the mix Saturday: Emerson Hancock and Brendan Donovan.
Hancock, who tweaked his groin in Friday night’s 8-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, was “moving around well” a day later, according to Seattle Sports Mariners insider Shannon Drayer. The injury happened in the first inning when Hancock dove to tag out Toronto’s Nathan Lukes on a soft grounder down the first-base line. He grimaced after getting up, then was checked by head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson and manager Dan Wilson before staying in the game.
He wound up giving up three runs in that first inning, then settled in. Hancock finished with five innings pitched, allowing five runs on eight hits.
His next turn is scheduled for Wednesday’s series finale against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, and Wilson said the club will keep monitoring how Hancock responds.
“I think likely we’ll see here in the next day or so how he’s moving around and how he’s testing it,” Wilson said on Saturday.
Wilson also gave Hancock credit for staying on the mound instead of forcing the bullpen into emergency mode during a stretch of 10 games in 10 days.
“He really wanted to stay in that game, and it was close,” Wilson said. “You really don’t want to put your pitcher in that position, but you keep an eye on the velo and it really seemed to be there. It didn’t seem to bother him too much, but you know it was barking a little bit.
“But he really stuck it out. I give him a lot of credit.”
Donovan, meanwhile, is edging toward a return. The third baseman/utilityman remained on the seven-day concussion injured list Saturday, the first day he was eligible to come off it.
Donovan was struck in the head in the batting cage by a pitch from an unnamed Mariners staffer on Aug. 22. He was not wearing a helmet at the time.
“He’s doing better,” Wilson said. “Good to have him here.
A good day yesterday and I think the activity level continues to increase, so he continues to handle it. So just assessing it day by day, but getting much closer.”
With Donovan still out, rookie Brock Rodden got his first career start at third base Saturday. J.P.
Crawford started at shortstop, and Rodden had previously started nine games at shortstop and once at second base since making his MLB debut on Aug. 14.
Wilson said Crawford’s role will settle back into shortstop once Donovan is back in the lineup.
“Once we get BD back, that’s likely where (Crawford) will land most of the time,” Wilson said. “So just a chance to get him out there a little bit more today and keep Brock’s bat in the lineup as well.”
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