Preview: Mariners face Blue Jays for first time since ALCS

The Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays are squaring off this weekend for the first time since the Blue Jays ended the Mariners’ season during Game 7 of American League Championship Series last October.

The M’s host their ALCS nemesis for three games at T-Mobile Park starting Friday at 7:10 p.m.

Piggyback Returns: Seattle Mariners announce weekend pitching plans

What was expected to be a potential showdown of AL juggernauts entering this season has turned into a clash of two teams trying get their seasons heading in the right direction after largely failing to meet lofty expectations.

Seattle is coming off a rough month of June where it went 13-14 and briefly saw its hold on first place in the AL West disappear. But after a sweep of the Los Angeles Angels, the M’s are 45-43 and tied for first place in their division with the Texas Rangers.

Meanwhile, Toronto finds itself in a tougher situation.

The Blue Jays haven’t been above .500 since their seventh game of the season on April 3. They’re also playing in an AL East division that has featured the AL’s top two teams to this point, though they’re still just 3 1/2 games out of a wild-card spot.

AL Standings

Neither team is out of it with a bad series this weekend, but it looks like a pivotal point for both squads as the All-Star break approaches.

Slumping stars

The Mariners are still waiting on slugging catcher Cal Raleigh to get going at the plate weeks after returning from a right oblique strain.

Raleigh, who missed a month with his injury, is batting just .167 with a .594 OPS and one homer in 15 games since coming back June 16. The club recently moved him down in the batting order amid the struggles.

Center fielder Julio Rodríguez, who left Thursday’s game against the Angels early after being struck in the back of the helmet by a throw, has also seen his power drop after a hot May. After setting a career high with 10 homers during the month, the three-time All-Star has just two in 27 games since June 1.

Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has seen a similar dip in power, though it’s been a season-long trend. The five-time All-Star has just four homers in 82 game this season, which is last among primary first baseman in MLB. In June, Guerrero hit a meager .198 with a .498 OPS and one homer in 23 games.

Designated hitter George Springer, who hit the seventh-inning home run in Game 7 of the ALCS that pushed Toronto to the World Series, is starting to show sings of decline at 36 years old. A Silver Slugger winner a year ago, Springer hasn’t seen his batting average rise above .228 this season. He’s currently batting .221 with a .681 OPS and eight homers in 63 games. Springer was placed on the paternity list on Wednesday.

Injuries

Toronto recently got All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk and starting pitcher Shane Bieber back from the 60-day IL in mid-June, but it’s still one of the more banged-up teams in baseball.

The Blue jays are down three outfielders with Bellevue native Addison Barger, Anthony Santander and Jesús Sánchez on the IL. Barger, a hero of the Blue Jays’ playoff run last season, has played just nine games and is expected to be out until at least August with elbow and back injuries. Santander (left shoulder surgery) could return late this season but hasn’t played a single game. And Sánchez is out with a right ankle sprain suffered last week. 

The pitching staff has also been hit hard. Right-hander Max Scherzer (back spasms) is just starting a rehab assignment this weekend, and right-handers José Berríos and Bowden Francis are out with season-ending injuries. Additionally, key relievers Joe Mantiply (left knee inflammation) and Yimi García (2025 right elbow surgery) are on the 60-day IL.

The Mariners are dealing with some injuries of their own.

The club is still without offseason trade acquisition Brendan Donovan, who’s been out with a left groin strain since mid-May and doesn’t have a clear timeline for return, and struggling veteran outfielder Rob Refsnyder (right knee inflammation) went on the 10-day IL earlier this week. Rodríguez’s injury on Thursday night will be one to monitor this weekend. Plus, outfielder Victor Robles also left Thursday’s game early after being hit in the arm by a 98 mph pitch.

Seattle’s bullpen is down some key pieces as well, with high-leverage arm Matt Brash and right-handers Cooper Criswell and Carlos Vargas on the IL. Neither Brash or Criswell are expected to return until August. Vargas could return near the end of this month.

Probable starting pitchers

• 7:10 p.m. Friday: M’s right-hander Luis Castillo (3-6 record, 4.93 ERA) vs. right-hander Dylan Cease (4-4, 3.02)

• 1:10 p.m. Saturday: M’s right-hander Logan Gilbert (6-5, 3.42) vs. right-hander Shane Bieber (0-0, 6.00)

• 2 p.m. Sunday: M’s right-hander George Kirby (7-7, 3.81) vs. right-hander Trey Yesavage (4-3, 3.34)

Seattle Mariners news and more

• On The Farm: These Seattle Mariners prospects shined in June
• Why the Seattle Mariners should have an All-Star surprise in 2B Cole Young
• Seattle Mariners can cast a wider net than others at trade deadline

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