Checking in on Seattle Mariners reinforcements in Triple-A

The Seattle Mariners have a number of potential reinforcements currently playing with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, whether they’re major league regulars on injury rehab assignments, veteran players with MLB experience, or top prospects who could make their big league debuts later this season.

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Here’s a look at how those players are doing with the Rainiers.

Rehab assignments

All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan and right-handed platoon bat Rob Refsnyder both joined the Rainiers on Friday and played a pair of games against the Oklahoma City Comets over the weekend. Unfortunately, the results in the early going could have been better.

Donovan went 0 for 3 on Friday, had a rest day on Saturday and then went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts on Sunday. The 29-year-old lefty hitter had offseason sports hernia surgery and has struggled to stay on the field this season, having been on the Mariners’ injured list – for the second time this year – since mid-May with a left groin muscle strain. Donovan, who has only played third base for Seattle in 2026, played second base for Tacoma on Friday and was the designated hitter Sunday.

The 35-year-old Refsnyder went 0 for 3 with a walk on Friday, and 1 for 4 on Saturday. He had a strikeout in each game. Refnsyder, who went on the M’s IL on June 29 with right knee inflammation, was the designated hitter in both of his appearances over the weekend. Despite being one of the better hitters against left-handed pitchers in baseball in recent seasons, he has scuffled in 49 games with Seattle this season, slashing just .133/.203/.219 for a .422 OPS with three home runs, seven walks and 32 strikeouts.

Veteran options

Perhaps the Mariners’ top need ahead of the upcoming Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline is a right-handed bat, but they have one they recently added currently with Tacoma in outfielder Stuart Fairchild. A Seattle native and Seattle Prep alum, the 30-year-old Fairchild rejoined the M’s (he played three games for Seattle in 2022) on a minor league contract on July 5, just over a week after he was designated for assignment by the Cleveland Guardians. Fairchild was assigned to the Rainiers on July 10, and he promptly homered twice on that same day. He now has four games under his belt in Tacoma, going 4 for 15 (.267). He has a 1.122 OPS in that time, as all but one of his hits have gone for extra bases.

STUART HAS DONE IT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/7M6CM0BFIi

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) July 11, 2026

Corner infielder Patrick Wisdom remains a player the M’s could turn to in a pinch. The 34-year-old slugger has dominated with Tacoma this year, slashing .320/.418/.826 for a 1.244 OPS with an incredible 25 home runs out of his 55 hits in just 47 games with the Rainiers. He leads the entire Pacific Coast League in homers despite playing just over half as many games as the No. 2 player on the leaderboard, Oklahoma City’s James Tibbs (21 homers in 90 games).

Just in case you forgot over the break, Wisdom still mashes pic.twitter.com/94XJ3O99JM

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) July 18, 2026

Catcher Jhonny Pereda, who played well and become somewhat of a fan favorite when he was up with the Mariners while Cal Raleigh was injured earlier in the season, is slashing .323/.411/.445 for an .856 OPS with three homers in 44 games with Tacoma.

The M’s also have second baseman Ryan Bliss (.271/.330/.404 slash, .734 OPS in 44 games), utility infielder Leo Rivas (.161/.422/.161 slash, .583 OPS in 10 games), and first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe (.241/.306/.395 slash, .701 OPS in 42 games) all currently with the Rainiers.

Ryan Bliss stays RED HOT 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/wIYM5cfCMO

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) July 12, 2026

The prospects

A pair of recent call-ups from Double-A are the top draws right now in Tacoma: second baseman/left fielder Michael Arroyo and outfielder Lazaro Montes.

The 21-year-old Arroyo has taken off right away with the Rainiers, going 14 for 40 (.350) with two homers, two doubles, a triple, two stolen bases, three walks, a .391 on-base percentage, .600 slugging percentage and .991 OPS in nine games. Arroyo is the No. 41 overall prospect in baseball and No. 4 prospect in the Mariners organization, per MLB Pipeline.

MICHAEL ARROYO HAS HOMERED IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES❗️(and already has 4 RBI tonight!) pic.twitter.com/93vrDF4Lda

— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) July 11, 2026

Montes, who is also 21, is just 7 for 39 (.179) in nine games with the Rainiers, but he has a solid .436 slugging mark and .709 OPS thanks to two home runs and four doubles.

Lazaro Montes crushes HR in first home game for Tacoma

Montes seems at best a September call-up this season for the Mariners, who don’t really have a need for another slugging lefty-hitting outfielder, but Arroyo’s production from the right side of the plate could put him in line to get a shot if an opportunity opens up in Seattle.

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