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May 18: 2B Jorge Polanco (right hamstring tightness) sidelined for fourth straight game
Seattle's second baseman came into the visiting clubhouse in Baltimore on Saturday with his thumbs up, simply saying "better." But he was nonetheless held out of the lineup for the fourth straight game. The Mariners are considering a possible IL stint if he's not ready by the end of this weekend's series in Baltimore, where Polanco took part in a light pregame workout.

"There are good parks to hit in here on this trip," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "I'd love to get him in there sooner rather than later, but we'll see a day at a time."

Polanco has been out since exiting early against the Royals on Monday. Off to a slow start in Seattle, hitting .192 with a .606 OPS, Polanco was limited to just 80 games last year with Minnesota due to left knee inflammation and a left hamstring strain, the latter of which was all the more reason he wanted to get ahead of the issue. In his stead, Josh Rojas has started at second base.

May 17: SS J.P. Crawford (right hand swelling) held back in Seattle
Seattle's shortstop had a locker in the visiting clubhouse in Baltimore but did not join the team for Friday's series opener against the Orioles as initially planned, after a hit-by-pitch during what was presumably going to be his final rehab game with Triple-A Tacoma. Instead, Crawford is back in Seattle receiving treatment to the swollen area.

“Hopefully he will meet up with us at some point on this road trip," Mariners manager Scott Servais said at Oriole Park on Friday. "I just don’t have an exact date yet.”

Despite the setback, the prognosis is better than what the Mariners initially feared, as Crawford appears to not have sustained a significant follow-up injury to the right oblique strain that's sidelined him since April 24.

"He was upset," Servais said. "You're trying to come back and get off the rehab assignment and you get it extended because the guy loses it on a pitch or whatnot. So I texted with J.P. last night. He's disappointed, not concerned."

May 17: DH Mitch Garver (upper back spasms) returns to lineup
The veteran was back in the lineup in Baltimore after missing two straight games due to his back issue, which is different than the one he experienced in his lower back that sidelined him for three games just after Opening Day. Garver is hitting .174/.287/.347 (.634 OPS) in his first season in Seattle, but he'd been on a better run lately with an .815 OPS in May.

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10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

SS J.P. Crawford (right oblique strain)
Expected return: Potentially during this road trip
Seattle's shortstop experienced a setback during his Minor League rehab assignment when taking a hit-by-pitch off his right hand in what was likely going to be his final tune-up game. He appears to have avoided a significant injury but is still experiencing soreness and swelling, which prevented him from joining the team in Baltimore when it began a three-city, 10-game road trip. Crawford has been out since sustaining a right oblique strain when taking what he described as an "awkward" swing during the late rounds of batting practice on April 24, after which an MRI exam revealed a Grade 1 severity. (Last updated: May 17)

LHP Tayler Saucedo (right knee hyperextension)
Expected return: Late May
The MRI that he underwent after suffering the injury on May 7 "was overall positive," Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said, adding that the injury doesn't appear as severe as it looked when the lefty went down. Saucedo and the club are now awaiting the soreness to subside before they map out a rehab, but they're optimistic that he'll only need the 15-day stint. Saucedo suffered the injury running to cover first base on a ground ball but stumbled awkwardly after stepping on the bag. (Last updated: May 10)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

RHP Gregory Santos (right lat strain)
Expected return: July at the earliest
Santos recently joined the Major League team to continue his rehab, shifting from the club's Spring Training facility in Arizona. He's been throwing up to 90 feet and with more intensity, but he said on May 17 that he's still a few weeks away from throwing his first bullpen session, targeting early June. Santos initially experienced shoulder soreness at the start of Spring Training and was set back by a lat strain during a bullpen session while ramping back up. He experienced another setback in early May that prolonged his recovery into the July range. (Last updated: May 17)

RHP Matt Brash (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: June 2025
Brash underwent Tommy John surgery on May 8 that ended his 2024 season, three months after initially experiencing soreness during his second bullpen session in Spring Training. Brash had the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow repaired and a brace installed, which has typically allowed patients to begin physical therapy sooner. That's why the Mariners are hopeful Brash can return in 12 months, potentially as soon as June 2025. (Last updated: May 10)

RHP Jackson Kowar (right UCL surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Kowar was transferred to the 60-day IL shortly after receiving word that he'll need to undergo Tommy John surgery, which ended his season before it even began. The former first-round Draft pick was among the leading candidates to win a bullpen spot before suffering the injury in his second Cactus League outing. (Last updated: March 10)

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