The Seattle Mariners placed shortstop Ketel Marte on the 15-day disabled list Sunday because of a sprained left thumb, according to Bob Dutton of the News Tribune.
He suffered the injury Saturday after jamming his thumb on a slide while trying to steal second base.
Marte Injury Not Serious
Sunday, May 22
Manager Scott Servais noted the team does not expect Marte to miss more than 15 days since the injury is minor, per Dutton:
Everything indicates that it shouldn’t be any longer than 15 days. It’s not as bad as we originally thought. He’s certainly playing at a very high level, and we love having him in our lineup.
But every team has to deal with this stuff. You plan for these things by having guys who can come up and fill a role. We feel we have adequate guys to step in.
The Mariners recalled infielder Chris Taylor from the minor leagues to replace Marte, according to the team’s public relations department:
Marte is one of the better young shortstops in baseball. The 22-year-old is hitting .276 this season to go along with one home run and 14 RBI. Marte’s fielding percentage is also perfect on the year.
Taylor appears to be a viable replacement. He is batting .294 with Triple-A Tacoma, per Dutton, but he will not be able to replicate Marte’s stout defensive play.
The team sits atop the American League West with a 26-17 record, and three of its next five opponents are currently under .500.
Marte’s brief absence should not significantly affect the team’s standing, especially with guys such as Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager off to strong starts in 2016.
All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
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