Drayer: Mariners figuring out how to settle into a routine in Summer Camp
Jul 5, 2020, 3:55 PM
Mariners manager Scott Servais speaks to his team at Summer Camp at T-Mobile Park. (Getty)
(Getty)
Three days into Summer Camp, the Mariners appear to have settled into their new routines as dictated by the health and safety protocols laid out by the league in an attempt to keep everyone healthy and give them the opportunity to start the 60-game season.
Drayer: Day 2 of Mariners Summer Camp sees a few start to stand out
Each day has seen a couple of additions as initial test results come back, and while we as reporters cannot verify this as we didn’t have access to the weekend’s afternoon workouts, Mariners manager Scott Servais said Sunday morning that of the players who had tests pending, most were back.
“We did have a small, small number of guys test positive (for COVID-19) and they are obviously not out here yet,” Servais said.
Once on the field, masks aside, the workouts look normal. If you would like to get a look of those workouts the Mariners will be live streaming Monday’s 9:20 a.m. session on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Twitch, and a 3 p.m. session on YouTube and Twitch. If you tune in at 9:20 you will get to see a couple of live batting practices. While we don’t have the player groupings, the morning session so far has included most of the regulars including Kyle Seager, Dee Gordon, Tom Murphy, Kyle Lewis, Jake Fraley, Evan White and Daniel Vogelbach.
I’ve had a lot of questions about those on the field wearing masks, and for the players it is simple. Masks are required at all times except when they are participating in baseball or workout activities, and even then we are seeing some as noted above wearing them full time and others for certain drills. When they are coming and going, be it from to or from CenturyLink Field or in or out of the dugouts at T-Mobile Park, chances are very good you will see the players masked up. All part of what is now a very different baseball experience for all involved.
“It’s different, it’s not the same environment,” pitcher Justin Dunn said. “It’s definitely cool to be back in the clubhouse with everybody and have some sort of normalcy but there’s 15 of us in there at a time. I feel like I haven’t even seen some of the guys in the visiting clubhouse. There’s staggered times, you are not on the field for very long and once you are finished you are out of there. There’s really no hanging out and chit chatting after workouts and talking baseball. It’s get in, get your work in and get out of there.”
The players must stick to assigned arrival and departure times, which can impact their preparation for and recoveries from their workouts. For Logan Gilbert, it has meant moving some things around in his preparation.
“It’s a tight window for me. I’m just fit everything in I can right now but at the same time we have four hours to get everything in I need to,” said the pitching prospect. “I think we are getting used to it pretty quick. There were some things that we had to get used to, if that’s what it takes to play baseball right now. I think the staff and front office have done a very good job of letting us know all of the policies and that stuff and all the players have bought in quickly.”
For more on Gilbert, click the link at the bottom of this post.
