The Seattle Mariners have emerged as one of the hottest teams in baseball over the recent weeks. Early in the 2026 MLB season, the Mariners got off to a sluggish 10-15 start. Since then, Seattle has climbed its way back to the top of the American League West standings with a 33-31 record. Entering Saturday’s matchup against the Detroit Tigers, the Mariners have won eight of their last 10 games.
Seattle’s resurgence back to first place in the division has been sparked by excellent pitching, as well as a power surge that led to the Mariners hitting 42 home runs in May, tying the Chicago White Sox for the most across the Major Leagues.
Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
As Seattle hopes to strengthen its position in a tight AL West race, maintaining the health of their veteran players will be a top priority. One of those veterans is 31-year-old J.P. Crawford. Ahead of Saturday's game in Detroit, Tim Booth of the Seattle Times shared that Mariners manager Dan Wilson provided an update on Crawford's status after the infielder suffered a right hand injury after being hit by a 96 mph Framber Valdez pitch on Friday.
“M’s manager Dan Wilson says J.P. Crawford’s hand is a little better today but with the quick turnaround from last night not sure if he’ll be available off the bench. Crawford will be getting treatment most of the day,” Booth shared on X.
Although Crawford has had an inconsistent season, the former Gold Glove Award winner remains an important piece of Seattle’s lineup. Through 55 games this season, Crawford is hitting .228 with an OBP of .356 and a .766 OPS alongside 10 home runs.
Given the encouraging update and the negative X-rays, it appears Crawford has avoided a serious injury. For now, the Mariners will likely take a cautious approach to Crawford’s recovery, as top prospect Colt Emerson will take over at shortstop while Crawford is sidelined.
