Mariners call up one of their top prospects as Canzone goes on IL

The Seattle Mariners have made a surprising choice in calling up a replacement after an injury to outfielder Dominic Canzone.

Mariners Updates: Latest on Canzone injury; Clase set to debut

The Mariners are bringing up 21-year-old outfielder Jonatan Clase from Triple-A Tacoma ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Cincinnati Reds, with Canzone going on the 10-day injured list with an AC joint sprain (shoulder/clavicle) after he collided with the wall in left field on a catch in the first inning of Seattle’s 3-2 loss Sunday to the Chicago Cubs.

Multiple reports emerged Sunday night that the Mariners were calling up Clase, including by ESPN baseball insider Kiley McDaniel. The Mariners officially announced the roster move late Monday morning.

Clase, the No. 10 prospect in the Mariners farm system per MLB.com, is best known for his blazing speed. He stole 79 bases on 94 attempts between Single-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas in 2023.

He’s off to a hot start with Triple-A Tacoma this season, owning a .311 average, .396 on-base percentage and .622 slugging percentage for a 1.018 OPS for the Rainiers. He has two home runs, four doubles, two triples and three steals on six attempts in 12 games.

Jonatan Clase extends his hitting streak to seven games with this two-run shot! pic.twitter.com/PBdySiQ7cZ

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) April 13, 2024

Clase also impressed when given playing time in Cactus League play for the Mariners in spring training, hitting .321 with two doubles and three steals in 15 games.

Clase made his T-Mobile Park debut last year, representing the Mariners in their home ballpark in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, an annual prospect showcase that takes part on the Saturday of the league’s All-Star break.

A switch-hitter, the 5-foot-9, 150-pound Clase began his professional career after signing with the Mariners as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He made his pro debut as a 17 year old in the Dominican Summer League in 2019.

Clase has mainly played center field in the minors, though he has appeared in left field three times for Tacoma this year.

Seattle’s lineup is in need of a spark, as the 6-10 Mariners have scored just 49 runs this season, which is tied for 27th out of MLB’s 30 teams. Their 167 strikeouts are the third-most in the league, and their .204 average and .590 OPS also rank third from the bottom.

Losing Canzone is adding injury to insult for the Mariners, as he leads the team with three home runs and an .817 OPS this season.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• The interesting story behind big road trip by Mariners’ Dominic Canzone
• Seattle Mariners Injury Updates: Latest on six pitchers and a hitter
• Salk: Four players Mariners need to step up to get their season going
• Mariners are on pace to make MLB history — and not in a good way
• Salk on Seattle Mariners: What ‘it’s early’ does and doesn’t mean

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