Mariners Moose Tracks, 5/8/21: Wade Miley, Jazz Chisholm, and Ubaldo Jiménez

Good morning everyone and happy Saturday! Here’s the latest from around baseball.

In Mariners news...

• The Mariners announced plans for a vaccinated section.

• Shannon’s got the injury updates.

• The Rainiers get some much-needed depth.

• Hell yeah.

In the Minors...

• Taylor Dollard provided perhaps the best performance we’ve seen from an M’s minor league pitcher in Modesto’s 2-1 win over Stockton. Dollard struck out 10 batters over four scoreless innings in the 22-year-old’s first professional appearance for Seattle. Noelvi Marte also had his first extra-base hit of the season with a double. (Box score)
• It wasn’t exactly the debut we envisioned for George Kirby, who got tagged for three runs over 3.2 innings in Everett’s 7-2 loss to Hillsboro. However, the young right-hander still has not walked a batter as a professional. What was also encouraging was seeing Kirby already up to 70 pitches in his first start of the season. (Box score)
• The Arkansas Travelers barely got their game in against Northwest Arkansas as the game was called off after 4.5 innings due to rain. However, they won 4-0 in what was considered a full contest. Stephen Wrenn provided the spark with his first homer of the season as every member of the Travelers lineup reached base in this brief game. (Box score)
• Jarred Kelenic simply cannot stop hitting for Tacoma as the outfielder went 2-for-4 with a walk and a steal in the Rainiers’ 8-2 win over El Paso. Logan Gilbert tossed 67 pitches in his 2021 debut, throwing five frames of one-run ball while striking out five against no walks. Until they get the call, those are easily the two names most worth following on this Tacoma club. (Box score)

Around the league...

• Our good friend Wade Miley threw the fourth no-hitter already this season as the left-hander blanked Cleveland.
• Our very own Matthew Roberson wrote about the strange seasons of Willians Astudillo and Hanser Alberto, who each have yet to draw a walk.
• This is certainly a pleasant surprise.

• This is just stone cold.

• Devan Fink at Fangraphs analyzes the early home run trend this season.
• The Finnish Baseball and Softball federation is hoping for 10x growth in the sport nationwide by 2025.
• Eric Longenhagen at Fangraphs wrote up a handful of interesting prospects from the week, including notes on Adam Macko.
• James Wagner at The New York Times wrote a heartwarming story about Ubaldo Jiménez, the former MLB starting pitcher who just received his college degree and thus delivered on a promise he made to his mom.
• Jazz Chisholm thanks his grandmother for the drive he has to succeed in baseball, writes Stephanie Apstein.
• Gain some cultural knowledge by reading James Schapiro’s story on Richard Staff, a wild character in Mets Twitter circles.
• Congratulations to Daren, whose fun graphics I’ll miss posting in here.

• An injury to a breakout star paves the way for an Oregon State alum to make his MLB debut.

• Some in-division player swapping.

• People who thought the Astros would get off the hook easy after a fan-less 2020...were wrong.