Mariners have decision to make at catcher with Steve Clevenger hurt
Jun 29, 2016, 8:35 PM | Updated: Jun 30, 2016, 9:03 am
Mariners backup catcher Steve Clevenger took a foul tip off his right hand in the third inning of Wednesday’s 8-1 loss to Pittsburgh and was immediately removed from the game. Preliminary tests showed a fractured right metacarpal. He is headed to the disabled list and the Mariners will need to make a move to get another catcher on the 25-man roster.
“We will wait and see, get together and talk with (general manager Jerry Dipoto),” manager Scott Servais said after the game. “Obviously (Mike) Zunino is the guy down there and has been playing well. We will wait and see, make a decision tonight and get somebody moving.”
The Mariners have a few options at Triple-A: Zunino, Rob Brantly and Jesus Sucre. Zunino has rebounded from a tough May to hit .274/.364/.405 in June. Brantly, a lefty, is currently on paternity leave and has hit .243/.257/.419 this season. Sucre is currently on the 60-day DL but resumed playing last week, getting in four games in Arizona before joining the Rainiers on Monday.
Of the three, only Zunino is on the 40-man roster, but injured pitcher Adrian Sampson can be transferred to the 60-day DL if another spot is needed.
It will be interesting to see what direction the Mariners go in. Do they feel they have Zunino on the right path after three months at Triple-A? And do they believe he can continue to move forward with limited at-bats behind Chris Iannetta? Will they go with Brantly, who, like Clevenger, hits left-handed? As for Sucre, he seems like a long shot at this point with only a few games under his belt this year.
It’s tough news for Clevenger, who had settled in nicely at the plate after a slow start to his season. He will see a hand specialist Thursday.
