With Suárez to IL, Mariners mull how to replace production 

ANAHEIM -- The vibes were not good at Angel Stadium on Saturday, yet Eugenio Suárez still sported his trademark optimism after revealing that he’d been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right index finger fracture, one day after a chopping ground ball led to the injury.

It’s a small crack, leading Suárez to believe that he could be back in the lineup when he’s eligible to return, even if at DH. Yet Suárez, and more so manager Scott Servais, recognize that bones take time to heal -- and after Saturday, there are just 18 games remaining.

“Unfortunately, [stuff] happens,” Servais said. “And it happened last night.”

In a corresponding roster move, Dylan Moore was activated from the 10-day IL after missing nearly three weeks with a right oblique strain. He’ll factor into the trickle-down effect at Suárez’s third base.

Speaking of, here’s where things stand:

What it means

Suárez has been the Mariners’ top run producer, their biggest power threat, their only third baseman and their most durable player. He’s played above-average defense, leads the team with 31 homers and has played in all but one of their 142 games. For all these reasons, a case could be made that, even if he’s not their best player, he might be their hardest to replace.

Suárez will see a hand specialist on Monday in Arizona but remain with the team otherwise. At the very least, his leadership presence will remain as best it can while he’s sidelined.

What about October?

As the bone heals, the biggest challenge will be throwing, though the specialist should provide more clarity on a recovery plan. Suárez swung through the injury twice during a four-pitch at-bat, but it was after he took ground balls in between innings in which the pain forced him to exit.

“Obviously pain is involved, but you’ve got to be able to control the baseball ... You’ve got to feel the ball coming off your fingers,” Servais said. “And that's, I don't know how much pain you can put up. You’ve got to have a good feel for where the ball is going. You can’t just get over there and just fire [stuff] everywhere.”

In that context, the Mariners are hopeful that Suárez could return and DH sooner.

“The finger that it's on, as a right-handed hitter, there is a chance that he can come back and hit,” Servais said. “But again, the throwing is going to be the big question.”

The other 3B options

Abraham Toro will see the most time there -- for now -- with Moore also slated for reps. Toro grew up as a third baseman and profiles better there than at second, where he’s spent most of his Mariners career, but his bat has been far less consistent this year, with a .181/.238/.323 (.560 OPS) slash line.

“I really hope Abe Toro steps up,” Servais said. “He's going to get a majority of the reps over there early on. He did so many good things for us last year offensively. This year has been a struggle. He's had a lot of big hits, but the consistency really hasn't been there offensively. Hopefully this helps get him going.”

Next in line is Moore, the athletic and versatile defender who’s played 27 games there, including 10 last season. Despite a .206/.353/.388 (.741 OPS) slash line, Moore has had some dramatic moments with his bat. Jake Lamb, who’s played most of his MLB career at third, will also be in consideration, but his playing time has dwindled in conjunction with an offensive downturn. First baseman Evan White, who has been back for a full month at Triple-A Tacoma after recovering from hernia surgery, is not an option for the big league roster right now.

The most notable fill-in could be first baseman Ty France, who played 279 games at third in the Minors but hadn’t practiced there all year until Friday.

“As a team, we have a goal in mind, and you’ve just got to do what's best for the team,” France said. “So, that's what's best. I'm more than happy to do it.”

Much of the decision making will be rooted in matchups, and not necessarily based on the opposing team’s pitcher, but their own. For example, Marco Gonzales’ contact-heavy profile compared to Logan Gilbert’s power profile might be more conducive for a better defender on those days.

The unfortunate timing

In a glass-half-full scope, at least there’s a chance that Suárez returns before the postseason if the Mariners make it. His .227/.333/.529 (.862 OPS) worth of production in the second half will be hard to replace, but it would be even more challenging to replace three weeks from now.

“Geno is one of the toughest guys we have on our roster,” Servais said. “He's played through a lot of things all year long that nobody really knows about, and he usually performs very well when he's maybe not at 100 percent. So we just have to wait and see where he's at.”