Mariners Lose Key Player to Injured List as Bad Vibes Pile Up
The Seattle Mariners suffered what might be their worst loss of the season on Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels, but that wasn't the only bit of bad news.
In addition to the 3-1 failure, the M's lost starting shortstop JP Crawford. After being hit by a pitch in the first inning, Crawford left the game and is now headed to the injured list.
Per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times on social media:
JP Crawford has a hairline fracture in his pinky. He’s headed to the IL
JP Crawford has a hairline fracture in his pinky. He’s headed to the IL
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) July 23, 2024
There's no telling how long Crawford will be out at this point, but his injury comes at a terrible time for the Mariners. First off, the Mariners have lost eight of their last nine series and have dropped six of their last seven games. They've seen a once 10.0 game lead in the American League West whittle down to an even tie with the Houston Astros, and they are also already dealing with an ankle injury to Julio Rodriguez.
While Crawford isn't having a great year (.204 batting average, nine homers, 32 RBI, five steals, .646 OPS), he's still the team's leadoff hitter, a leader in the clubhouse and a solid defensive shortstop. For a team already dealing with the stench of the last month's worth of games, losing a key piece of the roster feels catastrophic.
At this point, manager Scott Servais has not said what the team will do in his absence. Dylan Moore started a majority of the games when Crawford was injured earlier this year. He could play shortstop, and Leo Rivas is also playing well at Triple-A.
The Mariners play the Angels on Tuesday night at 6:40 p.m. PT.
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