Jul 22, 2026 7:01 PM

J.P. Crawford is absent from the lineup for the Mariners for the rubber match against the Cincinnati Reds.

Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson speaks to the media before a game against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. | Teren Kowatsch/Roundtable SportsMore Videos

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners will be looking to clinch their second-straight series win in a rubber match of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

The Mariners can get back to one game over .500 and retake first place in the division (depending on the Texas Rangers game against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday) with a victory but they'll have to do it down a man.

Veteran infielder J.P. Crawford missed the first two games of the series and was again absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest. He's been out with wrist soreness that he suffered taking batting practice before game one of the set Monday. He last played against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.

Seattle is hoping that, with the off-day Thursday, the former Gold Glove winner will be ready to return for a four-game series against Texas, which begins at 5:05 p.m. PT on Friday at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

"J.P. is still day-to-day," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Wednesday. "we're hoping by Texas, for that first game with the off-day tomorrow also, he should be in a pretty good spot and ready to go."

Crawford has refrained from too much baseball activity in attempts to give his wrist time to heal.

Crawford is slashing .215/.338/.352 with a .690 OPS in 82 games and has hit 10 doubles and 10 home runs with 28 RBIs.

Utility infielder Leo Rivas was at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday and is on the taxi squad for the Mariners should they have to make a move.

Rivas has played 38 games with Seattle this year, has slashed .131/.263/.17 and has hit two doubles and a triple with seven RBIs.

Other notes

With Crawford's absence, and center fielder Julio Rodriguez also limited this series (he exited Monday's contest and was a late-game substitution Tuesday), infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson has seen more opportunities.

Wilson, who was signed by Seattle to a minor league deal June 14 and had his contract selected June 19, has received limited opportunities as a platoon utility player. He was in the lineup for Wednesday's game, playing third base and batting eighth.

Wednesday will mark the fourth-straight game for Wilson, the first time he's played four days consecutively in his brief tenure with the Mariners. He's registered a base hit in his last four games played. In those contests, he's 4-for-12 with a double, two home runs and four RBIs.

"We talk a lot about getting an opportunity," Dan Wilson said. "And it seems like any time (Weston) gets an opportunity, he takes advantage of it. He's had some limited starts but when he's been in there, whether it's (left-handed pitchers) or (right-handed pitchers), has swung the bat well. ... He's done a nice job defensively, whether in the outfield or the infield, he does provide some versatility there, too."

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