J.P. Crawford Is Back, and the Mariners' Infield Just Got a Whole Lot Better
The Seattle Mariners got some good news Thursday: J.P. Crawford is back. The shortstop was reinstated off the 10-day injured list after dealing with right shoulder inflammation that kept him sidelined to start the season. In a corresponding move, second baseman Ryan Bliss was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
Crawford's road back has been anything but smooth. He appeared in just seven games and 18 plate appearances during the early part of the season before the shoulder issue forced him to the IL. After rejoining the team on Saturday with some light batting practice and fielding drills, he was sent down to Tacoma to shake off the rust with a rehab assignment.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiThe Rehab Assignment Gets Rained Out (Because This Is the Pacific Northwest)
Crawford played one game Tuesday for the Rainiers, going 0 for 4 with a walk while batting second and playing shortstop. He was set for a second rehab game Wednesday night, but the baseball gods had other plans. The Tacoma-El Paso matchup got rained out, cutting his minor league reps short.
Still, the Mariners felt good enough about where Crawford was to bring him back. And honestly, they need him. The 31-year-old is the longest-tenured player on this roster, having made his M's debut back in 2019. He won a Gold Glove in 2020 and last season put together a solid 3.8 bWAR, the second-best mark of his career. His numbers in 2025 speak for themselves: .265/.352/.370 slash line with a .722 OPS, 12 homers and 24 doubles.
Bliss Heads Down, Loutos Gets Cut
Bliss didn't get much of a chance to prove himself with the big club. The 26-year-old appeared in just one game during the Mariners' seven-game homestand to open the season and went 0 for 2. He'll get more opportunities to play down in Tacoma and work on his game.
The M's also placed right-hander Ryan Loutos on unconditional release waivers after designating him for assignment earlier in the week.
The Mariners are off Thursday but fire up their first road trip Friday night, heading to Los Angeles to take on the Angels at 6:38 p.m. Pregame coverage on the Mariners Radio Network begins at 6 p.m.
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