Drayer: Bad day for Mariners with injury news and results on the field

PEORIA, Ariz. – There is no other way to put it: Sunday was not a good day for the Mariners on the field or in the training room.

Shannon Drayer’s Mariners notebook from Sunday morning

We are still awaiting definitive answers on the hand Kyle Seager injured Friday night and had an MRI on Saturday, but Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto gave further details on the ROOT telecast of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Indians.

“Kyle is in a little bit worse shape than maybe we thought,” Dipoto said, indicating that the Mariners should know more in the next 48 hours. “It’s not going to be days. We are looking at a longer absence. He has some tendon issues with the hand that we are going to have to solve.”

Unfortunately that is not the only injury news of the day, as word and video came out of the split squad game in Tempe that Gerson Bautista was injured on this pitch.

Here’s Mariners prospect Gerson Bautista’s last pitch. Looked quite painful based off his reaction. pic.twitter.com/NQNOrhzQkf

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 10, 2019

Bautista, who was acquired in the Robinson Canó/Edwin Díaz trade with the Mets, has been having a solid spring, and the expectation was that he would be taken to Japan with the team. It is far too soon for a prognosis, but from what we can see on the video this appears to be a significant injury. We should learn more Monday.

On the field Sunday, the Mariners fell 16-2 to the Indians in a home game in Peoria. Félix Hernández went three innings, giving up seven runs on six hits and three walks. The majority of the damage was done in the fourth inning, where he walked the leadoff batter and showed dissatisfaction with the umpire as he got the ball back. It appeared that he was not able to pull it together after the walk as he allowed the next five batters to reach base without recording an out.

After the game, manager Scott Servais said it was more a matter of pitch selection than losing his composure that led to Félix’s downfall that inning.

“Félix has made a concerted effort this spring to work the curveball in more early in counts and early in games, and he didn’t do that today,” Servais said. “It caught up with him the second time through the order. He needs to continue to work that on it. It’s one of his better pitches and he didn’t go to it today.”

For his part, Félix admitted that he was not happy with the strike zone but otherwise was happy to get to 65 pitches.

“I fell behind a few hitters and then the walking, but other than that I feel everything was fine,” he said. “I feel pretty good.”

Félix also addressed Saturday’s news that he would not be making the Mariners’ Opening Day start for the first time since 2008. In a short exchange with reporters, Félix answered with a simple “Yes” when asked if he was upset he did not get the nod, adding that he really had no comment.

“What do you want me to say?” he asked. “Exactly. I don’t know either.”

Later in Sunday’s game, a number of the Mariners’ young prospects saw action. Logan Gilbert, who did not pitch last year after the Mariners took him with their first pick in the draft due to a bad case of mononucleosis, had a rough go in his first game action, giving up five runs in 2/3 of an inning.

“I hope he’s breathing by now,” said Servais with a smile. “That first time out, it got going a little fast on him and he wasn’t able to slow things down, but that’s what we are here for. Give young guys an opportunity, break the ice. He’ll be fine.”

Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez each got an at-bat, with Rodriguez hitting a solid double to the gap in right center.

Up next, the Mariners have a Monday night game in Peoria against the Royals. A number of roster cuts are expected to be announced prior to the game.

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