Early on Sunday morning, we published our five biggest remaining questions for the Seattle Mariners with just two Cactus League games remaining.

It looks like we're getting some clarity on one of those questions already.

Per Jim Duquette of Sirius XM Radio:

Jerry DiPoto of the Mariners just told us it’s very likely that JP Crawford will start the year on the IL but “appears to making progress “ and will hopefully see him back in early April. @MLBNetworkRadio

Crawford has been battling a shoulder issue for much of spring. He's played just seven games, with only three of those coming at shortstop. He had imaging done, but everything checked out OK. He's likely just behind schedule in his ramp-up.

Now 31 years old, Crawford is the longest-tenured Mariner on the roster. Acquired before the 2019 season, the M's picked him up in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies. A foundational figure in the organizational turnaround since then, Crawford won a Gold Glove Award in 2020 and serves as one of the biggest leaders in the clubhouse.

A career .248 hitter, he hit .265 in 2025, popping 12 homers and driving in 58 runs. Known for his plate discipline, he had a .352 on-base percentage and an OPS+ of 111. He'll provide the Mariners with nice stability at the bottom of the order and will be integral in turning the lineup over back to the run producers at the top.

Crawford is in the final year of his contract, and with top prospect Colt Emerson lurking, it's unclear exactly what his future in Seattle holds.

The Mariners sent Emerson down to minor league spring training on Saturday, so he's not going to be an option to replace Crawford. With that in mind, it appears that Leo Rivas will be the starting shortstop with Cole Young having the ability to fill-in as needed.

The ripple effect on the roster will be interesting, with Ryan Bliss and Miles Mastrobuoni now battling for the depth infielder position. But Mastrobuoni's status is also up in the air as he's battling a calf issue sustained in the World Baseball Classic.

The handshake controversy between Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh appears to be behind us, with Arozarena issuing an apology on Saturday and Raleigh responding to it as well, saying that the two had spoken and were in a good spot.

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