Getting Ready For the Season

The time is ticking down until opening season with twelve days to go. It has been interesting spring training with surprises and injuries to some of the players. I am sure many are concerned about the injuries in spring training however most of them are minor. According to the new Mariners High Performance director Dr. Lorena Martin she isn’t too worried about the injuries that her job is to be sure everyone will be ready when the season begins. Outside of Ben Gamel and Erasmo Ramirez all the other players should be ready to go.

Ryon Healy who hasn’t started a game this spring because of surgery to his hand at the beginning of training camp is expected to play in a game this weekend. He has been taking grounders at first base for a couple weeks and this last week has been taking batting practice. One of the surprises of the camp is Dan Vogelbach who could start the season on the roster if Healy isn’t ready to open the season. With options still left the Mariners could decide to send Healy down to Triple A for a few weeks as well. Vogelbach who has been given extra time because of Healy’s injury along with Mike Ford looks like a different player both at the plate and in the field. Ford has shown power and driving in runs but his batting average is below two hundred so the thoughts of general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais hasn’t really come out where fits in the picture. Being a rule 5 player he has to make the team or be sent back to the original team which is the New York Yankees or make a trade with them to send to triple A.

Marco Gonzales who is out of options would have to be on the roster or be sent through waivers before sent to Tacoma. The Mariners figured there likely would be little chance he would make it through waivers and he has been a good surprise throughout camp. He is expected to be the fourth starter for the Mariners. Another surprise is Rob Whalen who spent most of last year not pitching because of depression has not only recovered has had a real good spring as well. It looks like he will be on the roster as well. He could be the fifth starter if Erasmo Ramirez isn’t ready to go. The Mariners don’t need a fifth starter until the middle of April because of three off days early in the season.

Mike Marjama who looked like the leading candidate to be the backup catcher hasn’t been a disappointment at all batting almost three hundred and playing a good solid defense so at this point he looks like to make the roster on opening day. Andrew Romine and Taylor Motter are both having solid spring training competing for the utility player role. At this point I would give the edge to Romine because he is a veteran and Motter does have options so he could start the season in Tacoma. He would be ready that way if Romine doesn’t work out or an injury happens.

Guillermo Heredia is having a good spring training when he got going after coming back from his off-season surgery. He and Ichiro are expected to share the position since Ben Gamel will be out for the first month of the season or longer. Right now Ichiro is slowed by an injury so Heredia could get the bulk of work in left field. With his defense he will be valuable as a backup in center field and right field. Mitch Haniger who started spring training on the bench with an injury as well might not be ready to play full time either. So early in the season Heredia could see plenty of action and whoever is the utility player might get action in as well.

It was announced that on Monday Felix Hernandez will be pitching in a minor league game. The same goes for James Paxton as well. The Mariners haven’t announced yet who will open the season as the starter. They likely go with Paxton but they still might let Felix pitch opening day.