Mariners Moose Tracks, 2/23/23: Ty France, Lance McCullers, and Noah Song

Hello all and welcome to Thursday! Here’s what’s going on in the world of baseball.

In Mariners news...

• Ty France opened up about an pair of injuries that were bothering him in the second half of last year. He is hoping for a fully healthy season in 2023. I’m just gonna say it: I think at this point, the minor injuries throughout the season are going to have to be baked into his expectations for the year, which is fine! But I don’t feel comfortable banking on a fully healthy year from him.

Around the league...

• In more spring training injury news, Lance McCullers will not be ready for Opening Day due to a “small muscle strain” in his right arm.
• Yankees catcher Ben Rortvedt will be out of action for at least a month following surgery to address an aneurysm of the posterior artery near his left shoulder.
• Former Mariner Justin Dunn is behind schedule as he recovers from a shoulder issue.
• Phillies pitching prospect Noah Song will report to spring training after transferring from active duty with the Navy to selected reserves. Song, a 25-year-old, hasn’t pitched in organized baseball since 2019 when he was in High-A, but his performance at that level was pretty strong, so who knows?
• Former Mariners outfielder Ben Gamel has agreed to a minor league deal with the Rays.
• Fangraphs unveiled their list of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Bryce Miller is the lone Mariners representative, checking in at No. 83.
• Jacob deGrom might just be the most boring star in the sport. At least Mike Trout likes the weather!

Anders’ picks...

• The Seattle Kraken announced their first-ever jersey patch sponsorship, and it’s with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.