Seattle Mariners Manager Discusses Eventful Upcoming Week

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners are set to begin a lengthy homestand with the first of a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at 7:10 p.m. PT on Friday at T-Mobile Park.

This homestand, which will feature nine games across three series against the Twins, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays, also surrounds the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.

In addition to the potential additions Seattle could make via the trade market, 2025 All-Star utility player Brendan Donovan is set to return the day after the deadline Tuesday. He'll be activated before the M's' second series of the homestand against the Tigers.

Having nine consecutive home games and the benefit of additions via Donovan being healthy and the trade market gives the Mariners a good opportunity to get back on top in the American League West.

Seattle entered Friday 53-57, third place in the division and 2.5 games out of first place. The two teams ahead of the Mariners in the AL West, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, will play in a three-game series this weekend.

Time is running out for the M's to gain momentum and make a final push for the playoffs, but there is optimism within the clubhouse that the pending returns of injured players and potential trade acquisitions could provide the boost in energy (and results) the team needs.

"This is a division that we've seen is still completely up for grabs," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Friday at T-Mobile Park. This is something that we have to get after it and get going, get ourselves consistent. Energy comes from a lot of different places. Obviously, the next three days is an interesting time in all of baseball. We'll see how everything goes. ... I'm optimistic about where our guys are, the headspace they're in, getting back home and getting started on this homestand tonight."

The Mariners have one of the toughest strength of schedules in the American League in August, which makes its current position in the division and playoff standings more precarious.

If Seattle is able to take three series wins and have a successful homestand with whatever new additions it has, it could build that momentum that has escaped the club for most of the season.

If the Mariners build that momentum coming out of the homestand, it could find itself in a good position to go on a run the rest of the month, which will likely see the returns of two bullpen arms: Carlos Vargas (right lat strain), Matt Brash (right lat strain) and, potentially, Cooper Criswell (right pec strain).