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Welcome to the final month of Mariners baseball in 2019. [sad horn sound] My name is Kate and I will be your guide through this last month as we comb the dusty soil of the 2019 season for the last of the crops to lay in store for sustenance this winter.
Unfortunately, the potatoes just got a little bit smaller and more nubbly:
JP Crawford is going to fly back to Seattle to have his hamstring examined by team doctors. He underwent a MRI yesterday. He’s expected to be out at least a week but probably more.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) September 1, 2019
In JP’s absence, expect to see either Dylan Moore or Tim Lopes reclaim their rightful spots on the infield. This is a bummer for Mariners fans who enjoy watching the shortstop of the future but probably good for Moore and Lopes to be able to showcase more of their versatility as they look to establish themselves as MLB-caliber super-utility players. Trying to look on the bright side, here.
The storerooms also got replenished with the addition of some players coming off the IL; RHP Dan Altavilla, CF Braden Bishop, 1B (?) Ryan Court, RHP Austin Adams, and RHP Brandon Brennan. Expect to see Bishop get plenty of run in center down the stretch, including today (Jake Fraley is still away from the team attending to personal matters):
Lineups pic.twitter.com/cLJWhxZgs7
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) September 1, 2019
The game starts at 12:05 PT. No special channels like YouTube today—just plain old ROOT, 710, and MLB TV if you’re out of the area—but speaking of YouTube, the 18U WBC is going on and you can watch it for free on YouTube. Team USA includes a few 2020 draft notables like Pete Crow-Armstrong, A.J. Vukovich (a Wisconsin native who plays for the same club team Jarred Kelenic did), Austin Hendrick, and Oregon native Mick Abel. You can see the whole roster and schedule on the Team USA site here, and watch the most recent game against Japan (spoiler alert: they got crushed) here. There are a few really interesting Japanese pitchers including a kid with the wildest leg kick I’ve ever seen. Or if you want some more Mariners-adjacent baseball that’s not actually watching the Mariners, Arkansas plays today at 4 PT, and Modesto continues to fight for a playoff spot tonight at 6 PT after a thrilling walk-off win last night:
Go Nuts!