Ray sharp as Mariners mull infield decisions

PEORIA, Ariz. -- On their last Spring Training weekend in the desert, the Mariners continue to tinker with the infield. Nagging injuries will do that.

Shortstop J.P. Crawford was out of the lineup on Saturday, but he received good news regarding his injured right foot. Infielder Dylan Moore hasn’t resumed baseball activities yet due to an oblique strain, and fifth-year pro Sam Haggerty played first base for the first time in his baseball life.

Although the Mariners’ split-squad offense cooled after 32 runs in its previous two games in a 4-1 loss to the D-backs at Peoria Stadium, lefty Robbie Ray looked sharp. In Scottsdale, Seattle dropped a 7-4 decision to San Francisco.

Ray allowed one run on two hits and one walk in five innings to go with five strikeouts. He closed the spring with a 1.06 ERA.

“It was just kind of fine-tuning some things,” the 2021 American League Cy Young winner said of his last Cactus League outing. “Trying to nail down the slider shape and get it to where I want it to be. I feel like it was a successful day doing that.”

Manager Scott Servais has tapped Ray to start the second game of the regular season on Friday at home against Cleveland.

“His stuff was really good again. No issues there at all,” Servais said. “He’s ready to go.”

Injury report

Crawford on Friday took a foul ball off his right foot. On Saturday, CAT scan results were negative, although he may not get any more reps in Arizona.

“He’ll be ready to go when we get back to Seattle,” Servais said.

Moore, meanwhile, will begin the 2023 season on the injured list, but he may return in April. He’s taking ground balls, but isn’t swinging the bat or throwing yet.

The infield shuffling has given others opportunities to step up even with only two preseason games left.

Decisions, decisions

Haggerty, 28, has more than 800 baseball games under his belt, from four years in the Majors to the Minor Leagues and even three years at the University of New Mexico. He has played all three outfield positions at times plus second base, shortstop and third base. The switch-hitter said before Saturday’s game that he had never once played first base.

“My role has just been to be versatile, be sort of a Swiss Army knife,” Haggerty said. “Be able to play third, be able to play short, be able to play second. Now having to play first. Give guys days off, keep the roster fresh.”

Servais said matchups will dictate infield spots in the early going. Others in the mix include Mason McCoy, who has more than 2,300 plate appearances in the Minors and is looking to crack his first big league roster. Jose Caballero, whose commitment to making his first Major League roster has seen him play with 12 Minor League teams since 2017.

Caballero hit a two-out single in the ninth for the Mariners’ lone run against the D-backs.

“We’ve still got a few decisions to make,” Servais said of the infield.

Roster spots

The Mariners entered Saturday with 39 players on the roster, and they will have more tough conversations with players who don’t make the cut after the team’s busy split-squad day.

Seattle will close out Spring Training with two in a row Sunday and Monday against the Padres, with whom they share space at the Peoria Sports Complex.

Even with Moore’s situation unclear, Servais says they’ll finalize the Opening Day roster by the time the team leaves Arizona.

“That’s the hope,” he said. “Before we play the game on Monday, we’ll know who’s in, who’s not.”