Thursday, May 21

SEATTLE -- Comfort zones are being tested for many within the Mariners’ clubhouse. 

But in many ways, this has long been foreseen for a struggling club looking to make the most of a roster that’s been banged up for much of 2026.

How do they allocate their six healthy starters? How do they position Brendan Donovan to fully recover from major offseason surgery? How do they withstand Cal Raleigh’s absence? How do they maximize Colt Emerson’s potential? How will J.P. Crawford adjust to the top prospect who’s expected to take over his position long term?

Most of these questions have loomed as far back as Spring Training. But they all compounded to the collective forefront this series against the White Sox -- which, despite the many downs of his homestand, ended with a series win.

“A big part of these guys is they play for the team, and they'll do what the team wants them to do,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “And that's a credit to those guys in the clubhouse, and who they are as players, who they are as people. The goal here is to win, and we'll do whatever it takes to do that.”

J.P.’s unprompted offer

The latest -- and most prominent -- development came on Wednesday morning, when Crawford took ground balls at third base, signaling a willingness to move off the only position he’s known in Seattle if it makes the Mariners better. 

And it was actually his idea.

“I want to be a Mariner for life, and I think that's the best way to do it,” Crawford said. 

There’s certainly individual benefit, too, given that this is a walk year and the path towards his next contract could be more robust if he shows positional versatility. Because there’s no denying that the 31-year-old’s defense isn’t as elite as it once was.

But there are more layers to this, maybe chief among them being that Crawford is open to conceding his spot to his heir apparent early. Because it’s also clear that Crawford is fostering an environment to make Emerson as comfortable as possible, socially as much as positionally. 

No moment was more telling to this than when the veteran dumped the rookie with his first on-camera Gatorade bath, after Emerson homered for his first MLB hit in Monday’s win.

“A team is a team for a reason,” Emerson said, “and without those guys having my back like that, that wouldn't have happened.”

Crawford, who was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup with right triceps soreness, probably won’t play third base in the coming days. There’s still much to work out, between the pain in his throwing arm and the need for practice reps. 

But the fact that a trial is underway shows that it’s a legitimate possibility, especially with Donovan sidelined for at least a few more weeks.

The piggyback conundrum

Seattle’s first foray into its piggyback experiment started out brilliantly but ended in disaster. 

Yet, the finish wasn’t necessarily an indictment of its philosophical practice; after all, the Mariners’ offense had just one hit in the 2-1 defeat.

It was, however, fair to criticize leaving Luis Castillo in for the ninth inning, with Andrés Muñoz available in a one-run game. And it didn’t help that Wilson offered little to no explanation on the decision-making process. 

Those factors, plus the agonizing way that the loss manifested, left the home clubhouse noticeably frustrated -- more than typical. And particularly so for the arms involved in the piggyback, Bryce Miller and Castillo. 

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to throw the ball whenever they tell us to throw it,” Miller said. “And whether that's 100 pitches or 70 -- or 50 for ‘Rock’ -- we're trying to win games.”

Added Castillo, through an interpreter: “For me, you just kind of take up the mentality of just trying to go out there and do your job. It doesn't matter the situation they put you in. You just go out there and try to execute the best you can.”

The inevitable reality of this situation has been clear for weeks -- that not everyone involved is going to be happy about it. 

For Miller, he looks and feels great after missing the first seven weeks with an oblique strain, and doesn’t love pitching on a leash. For Castillo, he’s taken on a role that he’s never fulfilled before, outside the postseason, when all hands are on deck. 

Another reality is that the roster’s architects are doing the best they can with what they have.

“For now, the foreseeable future is that’s the way we continue to proceed,” Wilson said. 

Sometimes, these situations come with difficult decisions -- and pushing people out of their comfort zone.

Miller spoke bluntly about where the Mariners (24-27) stand as they near the season’s one-third mark:

“We've talked, as a team, and I think we all know that this clubhouse has the tools and has the right players. The last few years it's been like we're trying to chase [the playoffs], we think we deserve to be there, and we've got to go prove it, and all that. 

“This year, it's different. We know that we're the best team in the AL West. We know that we should be the best team in the American League. And it's like, at times we just haven't proven it. And it's, I don't know. Sometimes we just don't have that attitude of like, 'Everybody is coming to beat us.' 

“And we're kind of just flat sometimes. And I think it is a tough spot, because we know how good we are, and how good we should be.”

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