Mariners utility player Dylan Moore was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain in his oblique, he informed reporters this afternoon (relayed by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com). While that’s the lowest grade, any oblique strain typically comes with a recovery time of multiple weeks.
Moore indicated he will be shut down from baseball activity for 2-4 weeks before being re-evaluated. The earlier end of that timeline could have him beginning to ramp up by degrees around Opening Day, but it seems a near-lock that he will start the season on the injured list.
This will be Moore’s fifth big league campaign. He has posted alternate below-average and above-average showings at the plate, typically in a part-time capacity. The outfielder is coming off a strong 2022 campaign. While Moore hit only .224 last season, he worked walks at a 13.3% rate, resulting in a .368 on-base percentage -- notably better than the .312 league average. He also swiped 21 bases in 104 contests, his second consecutive season topping 20 steals.
The Mariners signed Moore to a three-year, $8.875M deal over the offseason, buying out his final two arbitration seasons and a would-be free agent year. Heading into the spring, he had been set to reprise his role as one of Scott Servais’ top options off the bench. Moore has played everywhere aside from catcher in his career, with the majority of his work coming in the middle infield and corner outfield spots.
Seattle has Kolten Wong and J.P. Crawford lined up for middle infield work this summer. The lefty-hitting Wong and right-handed Moore were expected to platoon at second base and while that could eventually still be the case, that plan will be put on hold for the time being. Tommy La Stella offers some insurance at second base but, like Wong, hits from the left side.
Sam Haggerty is a switch-hitter who has been better against left-handed pitching, though he’s worked far more in the outfield than at second base as a big leaguer. Drew Ellis and Mason McCoy are right-handed hitting infielders in camp as non-roster players. Ellis has struck out in 10-of-17 at-bats this spring, while McCoy is 9-for-25 with four strikeouts and a walk.
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