How will Seattle handle Lewis' absence?

SEATTLE -- Kyle Lewis is out for the foreseeable future, possibly a matter of months, representing a huge blow for the Mariners and the reigning American League Rookie of the Year.

Seattle’s center fielder is still in the process of seeking a second opinion on the torn right meniscus he sustained Monday, but general manager Jerry Dipoto indicated that Lewis’ recovery will be extended.

“My guess is that is going to result this time in a bit of a prolonged absence,” Dipoto said on his weekly radio hit with 710 ESPN Seattle. “I am hopeful that we’ll see him again this year on the field, but I don’t think it’s going to be quick. We’re going to take our time and identify how we can help, and Kyle needs to make some decisions on what he wants to do. Again, I don’t think this is going to be days and weeks. I think it’s going to be longer than that.”

There’s a lot to unpack here beyond Lewis, his knee -- which he has an injury history with -- and how Seattle proceeds. Here are three questions the Mariners face.

How does Lewis’ injury impact the Trade Deadline approach?

Seattle entered Thursday one game under .500, 4 1/2 games back in the AL West and 3 1/2 back in the race for the second AL Wild Card spot. There are still two full months until the July 30 Deadline, so this question could solve itself if the Mariners tumble out of contention.

But if Seattle sticks in the hunt, somewhere in the five-game territory of a postseason spot, will the typically aggressive Dipoto fulfill that reputation?

How they could sell: Mitch Haniger is their most valued commodity and a realistic market for him could be forming. The White Sox and Braves have each lost key outfielders, and the Padres could be seeking one. Haniger is under club control for one more season, his final via arbitration, which at the very most would double his current $5 million salary. But the optics of trading the team’s best player -- especially at a time where the Mariners are down their cleanup-hitting center fielder and emerging from a rebuild -- would be a tough sell to the clubhouse and fanbase.

How they could buy: The Mariners aren’t going to part with any premium prospect capital. They’ve spent the past three years accruing and developing talent, which has transformed their farm system from one of the Majors’ worst to No. 3 in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. They’ve come too far to splurge. That doesn’t mean they can’t or won’t acquire depth pieces or decent contributors who might come at a lower price, but chasing a top-end available outfield to fill Lewis’ void seems unlikely. That means they’ll largely be working with what they have, which gets us to …

How does Lewis’ absence impact center field?

Jarred Kelenic and Taylor Trammell have each started in center since Lewis left. Trammell filled that role for most of the 17 games that Lewis was on the IL at the beginning of the season, and in a small sample size, advanced metrics liked him more there than in left, the position that he spent most of his five Minor League seasons playing.

But Kelenic, if he can get things going offensively, would be the more-than-capable fill-in long term. It’s his natural position, and one that he played 1,110 2/3 innings in the Minors compared to 123 in left, which he only began playing in 2019 when it was clear that Lewis was destined for Seattle’s long-term gig in center. The Mariners will be patient with the 21-year-old, maybe more than they were with Trammell’s first taste in The Show. But they’ll want to see some offensive results sooner than later.

Lastly, Jake Fraley returning also gave the Mariners the luxury of a fourth outfielder, something they didn’t have for the first two months of the season.

What about the lineup?

So far, manager Scott Servais has kept it simple and basically moved everyone up one spot, with Ty France taking Lewis’ cleanup spot. That puts Kyle Seager in the No. 3 hole behind Haniger and J.P. Crawford, who took over the leadoff spot from Kelenic on Tuesday. Though Crawford doesn’t pack the punch atop the order that Haniger did when he began the season there, Crawford has been the Mariners’ best contact hitter.

Where it gets dicey is beyond Lewis’ No. 4 hole, which already was a concern before his injury -- with just .194/.276/.322 (.599 OPS) worth of production. Only one batter in the Nos. 5-9 holes on Thursday was hitting above .200, and that’s José Godoy, who’s played in just seven games.

They can fill Lewis’ spot in center field, but his production at the plate -- a .273/.368/.394 slash line and 125 wRC+ in May -- will be sorely missed.