Mariners activate SS J.P. Crawford off IL

SEATTLE – The Seattle Mariners have reinstated shortstop J.P. Crawford from the 10-day injured list, the team announced before Wednesday’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays.

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The 29-yard-old is slated to play shortstop and bat leadoff against the Rays. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.

Crawford went 1 for 6 over two games with Triple-A Tacoma in a brief rehab appearance and played in simulated games Monday and Tuesday.

“We brought in some guys to throw him some at-bats and just his progress over those couple days was just pretty quick, and he had a chance to play a couple of games on Tacoma,” manager Dan Wilson said. “So I think he’s ready and raring to go and wanting to get back in there. … We all like what we saw in the at-bats here and it’s going to be great to get him back in that lineup.”

Outfielder Dominic Canzone was optioned to Tacoma in a corresponding roster move.

Crawford went on the IL with a fractured right pinky finger after he was hit by a pitch from Los Angels Angels starter and former Mariner Tyler Anderson on July 22. He is slashing .204/.299/.347 with 13 doubles, one triple, nine home runs in 32 RBIs in 77 games this season.

The 2020 Gold Glove winner posted a career year in 2023, slashing .266/.380/.438 with 35 doubles, 19 home runs and 65 RBIs. The Mariners hope Crawford can regain that form down the stretch as they entered Wednesday 3 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the American League West with 29 games to play (Houston has 30 remaining).

With Crawford out, utilityman Dylan Moore and infielder Leo Rivas shouldered the load at shortstop. Moore slashed just .171/.330/.276 with five doubles, one home run and nine RBIs in 28 games during Crawford’s absence, while Rivas posted a .263/.344/.281 slash line with one double and eight RBIs in 24 games. Rivas’ .263 average led the team during the stretch.

Wilson indicated that Crawford will need some rest days early in his return and that the team will try to find ways to get Rivas in the lineup.

“Obviously foresee Rivas filling those holes at times,” Wilson said. “We’re going to continue to try to get him in there because he’s really done some things that we really like to see.”

Canzone, 27, has compiled a .208/.265/390 slash line with seven doubles, eight home runs and 17 RBIs in 67 games this season. He’s hitting just .156 in 32 at-bats over his past 15 games.

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