J.P. Crawford's Shoulder Could Keep Him Out of Opening Day
Well, this is not what you want to hear two weeks before Opening Day. Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford traveled to Texas on Tuesday to get his right shoulder looked at, and there is a real possibility he will not be ready when the M's take on the Cleveland Guardians on March 26. General manager Justin Hollander said the imaging came back clean and stressed that the concern level is "low," but with Crawford sidelined since March 11 and time running out fast, the team is already mapping out backup plans.
Who Steps In If Crawford Cannot Go?
Manager Dan Wilson is keeping his options open. Top prospect Colt Emerson and versatile veteran Leo Rivas are both in the conversation for the starting shortstop role in Game 1. "Until we hear what exactly the situation is with J.P., it's hard to kind of weigh those options," Wilson told reporters. "We'll wait and see once we hear, and then we'll begin to decipher where we'll need to go."
Both guys have earned some real consideration. Emerson, the 20-year-old phenom rated as Seattle's No. 1 prospect and No. 9 in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline, went 2-for-3 with a walk in Tuesday's 9-6 spring loss to San Diego and now has two homers in his last three games. He is hitting .282 this spring. Rivas, 28, has 33 major league games at shortstop under his belt, including 26 in 2024 and seven last season. He batted .244 last year with two homers and nine RBIs in 48 games.
Crawford's Value and the Wait
Crawford is not some afterthought here. The 32-year-old shortstop is entering his eighth season with Seattle and was solid last year, batting .265 with 12 homers and 58 RBIs in 157 games. Those RBI and homer totals were the second-highest of his career, behind only his 19 homers and 65 RBIs in 2023. He won a Gold Glove back in 2020. Wilson is not concerned about Crawford's limited spring action so far (he is 2-for-16 with three RBIs in seven games). The bigger question is whether his shoulder will cooperate in time.
The Mariners have talented depth to lean on if needed, but Opening Day is sneaking up fast. We should know more soon on what Crawford's status looks like heading into the season.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.