Dylan Moore back with Mariners, Tim Lopes sent to alternate site

Incessant roster moves have been one of the few constants of this strange and unpredictable 2020 season, and today is no different. The Mariners have announced that Dylan Moore will re-join the team at the expense of Tim Lopes, who has been sent to the alternate training site in Tacoma.

Moore had missed time after spraining his wrist in late August before briefly leaving the team to welcome the birth of his second child, Lucas. At the time of his injury, Mooore was tied for the MLB lead in stolen bases and had played every position besides pitcher and catcher. His .282/.364/.538 slash line, particularly the slugging percentage, was a welcome surprise for the Mariners’ offense this season. As we all suspected, Moore has the second highest wRC+ on the team (149), trailing only Kyle Lewis. With the departure of Austin Nola, Moore is now one of just five Mariner position players with a positive fWAR on the season. According to the official team release, he will be in uniform and available for Friday night’s game against the Rangers.

Lopes, on the other hand, has come down to Earth. He was a fun and legitimately positive part of the team for the first 10 games, during which he hit .276/.300/.483 with four extra base hits, but his most recent 22 games have been unkind. Lopes heads to Cheney Stadium with a .240 batting average and a sub-.300 OBP, having struck out 14 times and recording just 16 hits since his initial 10-game flurry.

This certainly does not seem like a permanent demotion for the 26-year-old Lopes. His positional versatility makes him a perfect last-minute replacement should someone go down with injury, and he’s proven that when he’s going well his bat can play nicely in the bottom of the order. For now, though, he will ply his trade in Tacoma as the Mariners ready themselves for seven games against Texas and San Francisco.