Mariners to live stream weekday camp workouts

SEATTLE -- While T-Mobile Park is closed to fans for Mariners workouts during Summer Camp, the club is doing what it can to let people get a peek, as both of Monday’s practice sessions will be live streamed on several social-media platforms.

Monday’s morning workout, which will start at 9:20 a.m. PT, can be viewed on the Mariners’ Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Twitch accounts. That workout will feature several pitchers -- including Yusei Kikuchi -- throwing batting practice.

The afternoon workout will start at 3 p.m. PT and will be streamed live on the Mariners’ YouTube and Twitch accounts. The sessions will be recorded and can also be viewed after they end.

The initial plan is to continue offering live streams of the team’s weekday practice sessions, but not Saturday and Sunday workouts. The live streams will use stationary ballpark cameras that can show pitchers throwing in the bullpen as well as hitters in the batter’s box and a full-field view from behind home plate.

The Mariners are conducting two workouts each day after splitting the squad in half to facilitate better social distancing. The three-week Summer Camp will run up until the start of the regular season on July 23 or 24.

Most of the boys are back in town
While not all of the Mariners' players have yet been cleared on their COVID-19 intake testing, manager Scott Servais said most of his players are now in camp, except for several who tested positive and are in self-quarantine.

Some teams have publicly announced which of their players have tested positive, but that can only be done with the players’ permission, and the Mariners haven’t been cleared to do that at this point.

“As far as the ones whose tests were pending to get the results back, I think we got most of those back,” Servais said Sunday morning. “As I said early on, we did have a small number of guys test positive. They’re obviously not out here yet. Some clubs have talked more about that. I don’t have the liberty to do that yet, so we’ll leave it at that.”

No Mariners have elected not to play
News of Félix Hernández’s decision to sit this season out for the Braves was met with some surprise in Mariners camp on Sunday. But in a year that figures to be unlike any other in Major League history, nothing comes as too shocking these days.

None of the current Mariners players have chosen to sit out the season for COVID-19 or personal concerns. Mike Leake, another former Mariners starter who is now with the D-backs, is also among the players around MLB who have decided not to play.

“I saw Félix decided to opt out. I certainly understand it,” said Servais, who worked with Hernández the previous four seasons in Seattle. “Everybody’s situation is different. Some have [family] at home and they’re looking at it differently. I think as this thing moves along, we may see more of it.

“But I haven’t had any indication from any of our guys that that could be an issue. Things could change, and we certainly have to be adjustable and ready for it to happen if it does. But on our end, and on the field and in the clubhouse with our guys, I haven’t heard any of that.”

Time to turn up the pitching
So far, Justin Dunn is the only Mariners pitcher who has thrown batting practice, as the rookie right-hander threw 20 pitches to Dee Gordon, Kyle Seager and Brian O’Keefe on Saturday. Servais said more pitchers will begin facing hitters starting Monday morning, as each hurler will get in a BP outing before intrasquad games begin on Friday.

“We need to get cranking,” Servais said. “Guys are ready. I think our players are farther along than maybe I was anticipating. I feel pretty confident we’ll be on time to move into intrasquad games. … With all of our guys, the exciting thing is they’ve got fresh arms. You see the ball really coming out hot.”

No extra points during pitchers’ workouts
With limited space in T-Mobile Park for pitchers to throw, a group of hurlers has gone across the street to CenturyLink Field every day as the Seahawks are allowing the Mariners to use their facility to help out during camp.

For the pitchers, it’s another unique experience in a strange year.

“It’s weird,” said right-hander Logan Gilbert, the Mariners’ 2017 first-round Draft pick. “Probably haven’t done that too many times, especially in an NFL stadium. It’s really cool. It’s a huge stadium, so we’re just taking in the sights. It was cool to be there.”

There is no aiming at the goal posts in the end zone, however.

“They actually took them down,” Gilbert said. “That’s the first thing I thought of, 'Could you get it from goal post to goal post?' But they took them down so we wouldn’t be too tempted, probably.”