Heating Up: Colt Emerson hits his 2nd HR of the spring

Colt Emerson is doing his best to make things interesting at Seattle Mariners camp.

Emerson continued a solid recent stretch of play on Tuesday with his second home run of spring training during the Mariners’ Cactus League contest against the San Diego Padres.

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The 20-year-old Emerson turned on a 93.7-mph fastball from Padres right-hander and former All-Star Germán Márquez, launching it 403 feet with a 101.3-mph exit velocity for a solo homer to right field that tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third inning.

After going 1 for 15 at the plate over a seven-game stretch, Emerson now has a four-game hitting streak and has hit both of his homers this spring in his past three games. And he kept it going later in Tuesday’s game, doubling down the line in right field and eventually scoring in the ninth inning.

Emerson, a left-handed-hitting shortstop, is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Mariners’ organization and ranked No. 7 league-wide by Baseball America. He entered spring training with an outside shot of making the big league club, but the expectation was he’d end up in the minor leagues when the M’s break camp.

However, there is now a little uncertainty when it comes to shortstop for the Mariners. Starter J.P. Crawford was away from camp Tuesday to visit Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, about the shoulder injury that has greatly limited his action this spring. Crawford has played just seven games of Seattle’s 23 spring games, including only three in the field.

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The concern level about Crawford’s injury isn’t high and he is not expected to need surgery after imaging showed nothing serious, general manager Justin Hollander told reporters Tuesday. But with just nine days until opening day and Crawford having just 16 spring training at-bats, he could be a candidate to start the season on the injured list.

If Crawford were to start the season on the injured list, Emerson wouldn’t be the only candidate to fill his role. The job could also go Leo Rivas, who had a strong 48-game showing with the M’s last season while displaying the on-base skills that Crawford also excels at. Mariners insider Shannon Drayer reported second baseman Cole Young has also been working at shortstop during infield drills throughout spring.

Additionally, if Crawford does miss time and the absence is expected to be short, that likely wouldn’t leave the sort of runway the M’s would like to give Emerson.

But Crawford’s situation does seemingly open the door a bit for Emerson to make the team, even if it’s only slightly. And if Emerson can keep hitting well over the next week, it could open it even further.

More from Seattle Mariners spring training

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• Dipoto details how Seattle Mariners unlocked Eduard Bazardo
• The reason Cole Young is having a good spring isn’t what you think
• Randy Arozarena issues statement upon return to Seattle Mariners

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