Scott Servais on Mariners demoting Mike Zunino: ‘He’ll be back’
Jul 6, 2016, 4:16 PM | Updated: 4:25 pm
With the All-Star break coming up, the Mariners sent Mike Zunino to Triple-A to get playing time. (AP)
(AP)
When the Mariners called up Mike Zunino from Triple-A last week, they said he would remain on the roster only if they could find him enough playing time to continue the plan for his development. So with Zunino heading back to Tacoma and Jesus Sucre joining the M’s from the disabled list, manager Scott Servais said it was all about the original plan and doing what’s best for Mike Zunino.
“Looking at our schedule mapped out, he’s probably going to only play one game for us over the next eight to 10 days,” Servais pointed out. “Getting a chance to send him back, he’s going to play four or five games maybe, and then see where we are at coming out of the (All-Star) break or shortly after.”
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While a demotion is never fun, Zunino appears to have shown what he needed to in his short time back in the Majors. He hit two home runs and walked in his first MLB game of the year on Saturday, and he struck out just once in eight plate appearances over two starts.
“He’ll be back,” said Servais. “I like the adjustments he’s made. I think he’s in a real good spot and the fact it’s a better setup right now, he gets paired up with Chris (Iannetta), but I think there is a chance for him to get significant playing time, impact our team in the second half. But we want to put him in the right spot so he gets the chance to play.”
