Mariners 2023 Spring Training Game #1: Open Game Thread

It’s time, everyone. Time for us to mentally if not physically escape the dreary days of winter and take a sojourn to the sunny and temperate climes of Arizona, to get our first peek at the 2023 Mariners squad in action.

Here’s the lineup the Mariners will start with for their first spring training game:

We’ll get a chance to get a first look at Teoscar Hernández and Kolten Wong as Mariners, and our 354th look at Mike Ford as a Mariner.

Robbie Ray will get the ball first; aside from Ray, the other pitchers slated for today’s matchup are Diego Castillo, Penn Murfee, Trevor Gott, Taylor Williams, and Riley O’Brien. I’ll definitely be eager to get my first eyeful of Trevor Gott, the Mariners’ biggest free-agency pitching acquisition this off-season, but don’t sleep on Riley O’Brien. The hometown kid, whom the Mariners traded for from the Reds last February, trained at Driveline this off-season and the video from the sessions was...impressive.

Other reserves for today:

(No, Jonatan Clase is not an infielder; yes, Robert Pérez is with the outfielders; no, Cade Marlowe is not a non-roster invite. It’s spring training for everyone.)

The Mariners will be playing their complex-mates, the San Diego Padres, as is tradition for the first game of spring training, although the Padres are technically the “home” squad. This will be the first game for the new, new-look padres, with free agent signing Xander Bogaerts leading off, followed by Machado, Juan Soto, and old friend but new to the Padres Nelson Cruz. That’s a pretty fun 1-4, in our humble opinion.

Today’s game starts at 12:10 PT and you can see it on MLB TV on the San Diego feed; it will also be broadcast in real time on 710 Seattle Sports. Blackout rules aren’t in place for spring training games, so if you have MLB TV you’ll be able to see the game. Pro tip: if you’re in area and have MLB TV, sync it up as best you can to the radio broadcast stream for an instant dopamine hit of Rick Rizzs’ voice coupled with images of your favorite Mariners.