Dipoto caught some flack for his public comments after Emerson's injury, but Buster Olney isn't buying the criticism.
Last Thursday, it was reported that the Seattle Mariners were going to send future star Colt Emerson to Triple-A Tacoma because of his vast struggles against major league pitching.
Then on Friday, the plan shifted, and Emerson was placed on the injured list with a wrist issue he's dealt with since spring training.
As reporting emerged, it became apparent that Emerson hid the severity of his injury - at least to some degree - and Jerry Dipoto told the Seattle Times that he wished Emerson would have been more up front with the team.
Those comments rubbed some online the wrong way, as they felt Dipoto unnecessarily directed public criticism at a 21-year-old rookie.
I defended Dipoto on a recent edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast, and on Thursday, I asked ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney for his thoughts on the matter:
Seattle Mariners short stop Colt Emerson (4) returns to the dugout after striking out in the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Richard Dizon-Imagn Images"No, he (Dipoto) didn't (do anything wrong). And because I think this is....as time goes on, when I first started covering baseball, a lot of players would hide injuries. They wouldn't talk about how they were feeling. As time has gone on, they've become more transparent because players have grown to understand that's good for them, to give them the best chance to be healthy moving forward. And that's a learning experience for Colt, that he needed to do that (be transparent) ahead of time."
That is how I took it as well. It's a learning experience for Emerson, who will continue to learn his own body and his own tolerance for playing through discomfort. And Dipoto is well within his right to deliver that learning experience, especially when all the rest of his comments on Emerson have been effusive in their praise.
Emerson hit .190 with eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 69 games. His wrist issue may force him to miss the rest of the season, though that's unclear at this time.
After a thrilling 6-5 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night, the Mariners are 61-68 on the season. They are still in the thick of the playoff race despite the unsightly record, as they are just four games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West and three games back of the Texas Rangers in the battle for the American League wild card.
The Mariners and Cubs will play again on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. PT. It will be the major league debut of top prospect Kade Anderson.
Of note
The most recent edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast is out, talking about Kade Anderson's call-up and featuring a conversation with Mariners infielder Ryan Bliss. You can listen here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below.
