After seeing Spencer Steer get injured over the weekend, Casey Schmitt was injured on Monday.
Update: Mead has a torn meniscus, meaning he is unlikely to be coveted by Seattle at this portion of the schedule.
The Seattle Mariners season just keeps getting more and more unforgiving.
Not only have the Mariners tumbled to three games under .500 at 52-55, but they've fallen to 2.5 games back in the American League West and two games back of the third and final wild card spot.
Further complicating things is that the month of August looks absolutely brutal from a schedule perspective, and the trade deadline is beginning to look like it won't yield the kind of returns the Mariners really need to get this season back on track.
While the Mariners are reportedly heavily invested in trying to fortify their bullpen, where exactly will they turn for much-needed offensive help? Spencer Steer of the Cincinnati Reds was injured last weekend and will miss significant time, and Casey Schmitt of the San Francisco Giants is likely headed to the injured list with a knee injury that he sustained on Monday. He's going for imaging, with manager Tony Vitello saying that he will probably miss "significant" time as well.
Schmitt was one of the players most often linked to the Mariners in trade conversations, and he fits the Mariners' needs to a tee: He's right-handed, he has the ability to play all over the infield, and he's proven that he can hit in a tough-hitting environment. Furthermore, he has power (21 homers) and he's just 27 years old. He is under team control through 2029.
San Francisco Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt (left) walks off the field with head of medical and performance Dave Groeschner (right) after suffering an injury during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park. Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesSo, there's a few things at play here:
The Mariners could still try to acquire Schmitt and get a jump on their offseason shopping, but they may want to wait until the extent of his injury is known. Furthermore, the Giants could wait until the offseason to move Schmitt when there are more teams potentially interested.
And of course, the Mariners are still in desperate need of players who can help now, which is why you hear rumors of them being willing to trade starting pitcher Emerson Hancock at the deadline. While nobody wants to trade a player like Hancock, that's what it will likely take to get the necessary impact bat back for a depleted lineup that is in the bottom of baseball in several offensive categories.
The Mariners will open up a three-game series against the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT as Luis Castillo takes the mound.
Of note
The latest edition of the 'Refuse to Lose Territory' podcast, featuring Seattle Mariners Insider Jason Churchill of 'Baseball Things' is out now. You can listen here, or you can watch in the YouTube player below.
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