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The Seattle Mariners placed starting pitcher Taijuan Walker on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with a right foot injury.  

Continue for updates.

Walker’s Foot Problems Persist

Wednesday, July 6

MLB.com’s Greg Johns reported the news on Walker’s status and had the story on the 23-year-old’s exit from Tuesday’s start against the Houston Astros.

The foot was clearly bothering Walker when he left the mound in the fifth inning of Tuesday’s 5-2 loss at Houston. He had yielded five runs and three homers in four-plus innings of work.

The Mariners have to be concerned with Walker at this juncture. He also left a start in June with right foot tendinitis, which seems to be flaring up again.

According to ESPN.com news services, Tuesday marked the third time this season a right foot problem has forced Walker out of a game.

“Taijuan obviously still isn’t quite right,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais on Tuesday, per the ESPN.com report. “He struggled, and he’s trying to pitch through it, but we probably have to re-evaluate where we are at here. We will have it looked at again.”

Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported on Wednesday that Walker will meet with a foot and ankle specialist to treat his ailment.

With top-10 MLB rankings in runs scored and team ERA, it’s a wonder Seattle isn’t further north of .500, as the club sits at 43-41.

In terms of pitching, Walker’s ongoing injury issues hinder the depth of the team’s starting staff. Longtime Mariners ace Felix Hernandez is already on the DL with a strained calf, and after only one start, Adrian Sampson was declared out for the season in late June with a right elbow injury that required surgery.

The good news is the All-Star break is quickly approaching, providing Servais and Seattle more time to draw up a game plan for a hopeful playoff push.

Hernandez is also due back soon, confirming on Wednesday, per Divish, that he’ll make a rehab start for the Class-A Everett AquaSox on Sunday.

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Taijuan Walker left Tuesday’s start against the Tampa Bay Rays with a foot injury. It is unclear when he’ll return to the mound. 

Continue for updates.   

Walker Injury Details Revealed 

Tuesday, June 14

Walker suffered an injury to the tendon in the arch of his foot, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com, who clarified that it wasn’t a Achilles injury, as originally announced by the Mariners. 

The team “hopes” he can make his next start, per Johns. 

Walker Comments on Injury 

Tuesday, June 14

“It’s not as bad as I thought it was,” said Walker after the game, via Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. “It’s just a little tendinitis.”

Mariners Need Walker to Stabilize Rotation 

Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine noted Walker’s “velocity has dipped to 91-92 [mph] in the fourth inning” after he allowed a home run to Steve Pearce and a triple to Corey Dickerson.

Coming into Tuesday’s start, Walker had 12 appearances with a 3.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 63 strikeouts in 67.1 innings pitched. There was steady improvement from his totals in 2015, when he posted a 4.56 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP in 29 starts.

Despite the better numbers, he has still struggled giving up the long ball. He allowed 25 home runs last year and 12 in his first 67.1 innings this season. Walker also gave up two more homers (Dickerson and Pearce) before exiting the game on Tuesday.

Walker was coming off his best start of the 2016 campaign, which makes the timing of this setback all the more disappointing from Seattle’s perspective. He pitched eight shutout innings and allowed a mere three hits against the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday and also struck out 11 batters.

The 23-year-old flashed his overall potential during the dominant start, but Seattle will now have to make do without Walker and Felix Hernandez for the time being. The Mariners recently placed King Felix on the disabled list with a calf injury.

That puts more pressure on Wade Miley and Hisashi Iwakuma to anchor the rotation for Seattle. Iwakuma is a veteran who posted an ERA of 3.54 or lower in each of last four seasons, while Miley is a southpaw who has struggled this season with a 5.28 ERA this season in 13 starts.

Seattle is already chasing the Texas Rangers in the American League West, and it won’t get any easier if Walker misses significant time.

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Player: Kyle Lewis

Position: OF

DOB: July 13, 1995 (20 years old)

Height/Weight: 6’4″, 210 lbs

Bats/Throws: R/R

School: Mercer

Previously Drafted: Never drafted

Background

Believe it or not, unheralded Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, with its 4,500-odd undergraduates, has had a total of 32 players selected in the MLB draft over the years.

The best of the bunch has been current Oakland A’s center fielder Billy Burns, who was a 32nd-round pick in 2011, while the highest draft pick in school history was shortstop Pat Creech, who went No. 32 overall back in 1973.

That is, until Kyle Lewis came along.

A role player who saw just 89 at-bats as a freshman, Lewis exploded with a .367/.423/.677 line last year that included 19 doubles, 17 home runs and 56 RBI.

That strong performance was enough to put him on the prospect map, but there were still questions about how his game would translate against a higher level of competition.

Situations like that are exactly what the Cape Cod League was created for, as it gives scouts a chance to see the best college baseball has to offer squaring off head-to-head.

Playing for the Orleans Firebirds last summer, Lewis hit .300/.344/.500 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 24 RBI.

With that, he was thrust into the first-round conversation, and his stock has only continued to climb with a monster junior campaign.

The slugging outfielder is currently hitting an outrageous .395/.535/.731 with 11 doubles, 20 home runs and 72 RBI.

Just as impressively, he’s raised his walk rate from 7.5 percent last year to 21.9 percent this season. A lot of that is pitchers working around him, but a willingness to take a free pass is a promising sign from a player who does have some swing-and-miss to his game.

Pick Analysis

A 6’4″ slugger with huge collegiate numbers and impressive raw power is a clear first-round talent, but there are some concerns with Lewis, namely whether or not the many moving parts to his swing will lead to problems against better pitching at the next level. 

As MLB.com’s Prospect Watch put it, his swing “is busier than most scouts would like,” but it’s hard to argue with the results.

Baseball America pegged Lewis as the No. 4 prospect in this year’s class, offering up the following insights:

Lewis is a right-handed hitter with plus-plus raw power. He has some swing-and-miss to his game, and his swing plane can be somewhat steep, but he’s developed a reputation for destroying mistake pitches and working at-bats until he gets the pitch he’s looking for.

Lewis plays center field at Mercer and is likely to begin his pro career in center, but most feel that his tools will play better in right field.

Lewis posts below-average run times to first base, reaching the bag between 4.3 and 4.6 seconds regularly, but his speed is better under way and some scouts like his defensive instincts. Should he have to move away from center, Lewis should fit well in right due to his excellent arm, which scouts have graded above-average to plus.

As long as he can make the necessary adjustments at the next level, his power should carry him, and he has a chance to be a legitimate 30-homer threat if everything falls into place.

Pro Comparison: Justin Upton

A tempting comparison here is Minnesota Twins prospect Adam Brett Walker, who has a loud power tool and a similar frame and also did his college work at a small school in Jacksonville University.

Lewis is a far superior prospect, though.

He has a much more advanced approach at the plate and is light-years better defensively, as Walker is a first baseman by trade and still trying to learn the outfield.

Instead, someone like Justin Upton seems to provide a reasonable glimpse into what Lewis’ eventual ceiling could wind up being. Both are big, strong outfielders with plus raw power and a willingness to take a walk, despite having some swing-and-miss in the repertoire as well.

Lewis probably won’t be a double-digit steal threat, while Upton has stolen at least 18 bases five different times, but they are both solid athletes.

Defensively, Upton has always profiled better in left field, so Lewis actually has a chance to be the better player in that respect.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the power tool with both players.

Lewis is capable of being a perennial 25-30-homer threat in the middle of someone’s lineup, and as long as his swing mechanics play, he won’t be a drain in the average department by any means, either.

That’s exactly the type of player Upton has developed into, and it earned him a $132.75 million payday this past winter.

Projection: Starting right fielder, middle-of-the-order run-producer

Major League ETA: 2019

Chances of Signing: 99 percent

The questions about the level of competition Lewis faced in college weren’t enough to send him down draft boards, and he’ll be cashing in as a result.

All college stats courtesy of The Baseball Cube, unless otherwise noted, and current through Wednesday, June 8.

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For fans of a Seattle Mariners franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001, doubt is a part of daily life.

Disbelief underscored the start of the 2016 season after the organization underwent a massive overhaul, with nearly half of the roster being replaced in the offseason and changes being made to the coaching staff.

This was supposed to be a year of transition for the organization. And maybe it still is, if you consider the categorical definition: Seattle has transitioned into a winner.

But more than semantics, it’s important to acknowledge this Mariners team, which stood four games out of first place in the American League West as of Tuesday morning, should inspire belief in those who have made doubting the organization a personal hobby the last 15 years.

The AL West is getting more competitive than it was the first month of the season. The division-leading Texas Rangers recently got top-of-the-rotation pitcher Yu Darvish back after Tommy John surgery, and a talented, burgeoning Houston Astros team that lost to the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 American League Division Series is playing better after a horrendous start to the season.

But more competition in the division doesn’t mean the Mariners won’t remain competitive.

Through Sunday’s games, the Mariners ranked fourth in MLB with 287 runs scored. Their offense has not been the class of baseball, but it has been in the upper echelon, ranking 10th in batting average (.262) and fifth in slugging percentage (.440). Seattle ranks second in baseball with 82 home runs.

But most importantly, the Mariners have received timely hitting, as they lead MLB with 26 homers with runners in scoring position. Their .477 slugging percentage in that circumstance ranks sixth in MLB.

The Mariners come up big in the game’s biggest moments. Think of the Seattle offense like your friend who fades into the background on a regular night out but is a key player in a Vegas bachelor or bachelorette party.

The team’s pitching staff has done its part, too: As of Sunday’s games, the Mariners ranked ninth in ERA (3.80) and 10th in WHIP (1.26). The staff has been able to maintain its play with ace Felix Hernandez on the disabled list since June 1.

But the team’s bullpen has been the hallmark of this Seattle renaissance.

Through Sunday’s games, the Mariners bullpen ranked third in ERA (2.94) and batting average against (.214). The Royals just won a World Series largely because they had baseball’s best bullpen. As of Sunday, Kansas City’s bullpen ranked first in ERA.

So naturally, other organizations have tried to mimic the Royals’ formula. This offseason, we saw several teams chase well-regarded bullpen arms. Examples include the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees trading for Craig Kimbrel and Aroldis Chapman, respectively.

Teams are always searching for bullpen help. It has proved to be baseball’s most elusive asset—have one, and it nearly guarantees you will be competitive.

As of Sunday, teams in the top five in bullpen ERA—which also included the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals—were either leading their divisions or holding second place.

Of course, the Seattle cynics are still singing with the panache of the Harlem Gospel Choir: Sure, we all know what the Mariners have done, but can they keep it up?

After all, USA Today had the Mariners winning only 77 games. Sports Illustrated predicted Seattle would only win 76 games. 

Offensively, the Mariners’ high OBP is more a matter of habit—the team has players with a discerning eye—than it is a skill with the potential to slump. So they should continue to put runners on base, with the opportunity for the team’s power bats to drive them in.

And the Mariners haven’t experienced a sudden power surge this season. Those who are driving in runs have proved capable in previous years.

So why wouldn’t they be able to continue that in 2016?

After seeing his season-ending slugging percentage dip below the .500s his first two seasons in Seattle, second baseman Robinson Cano is hitting .289/.348/.570 with 16 homers so far this year. In the five seasons prior to his signing as a free agent with the Mariners, Cano’s slugging percentage was above .500. Third baseman Kyle Seager and right fielder Nelson Cruz, who combined to hit 70 homers in 2015, had 10 and 13 homers, respectively, as of Sunday.

One big difference between this year and last is that the power bats weren’t hitting well with men on base in 2015. Seattle ranked 28th last year in OBP with runners on (.318 OBP) compared to 10th this season (.342).

But no statistic should excite Seattle about its potential in 2016 more than this: The team’s relievers had only thrown 171.1 innings through Sunday. That is only 26 more innings than the MLB-leading Cubs, who had played three fewer games.

That means Seattle’s bullpen will be fresh for its playoff push.

No team in the AL West has had a more effective bullpen. And no team in the division has used its relievers less than Seattle.

Too much losing has tormented Seattle’s fans. A negative mentality is understandable, if not warranted, in many cases. The franchise tied a record with 116 wins in 2001 but lost in the ALCS. The Mariners won 93 games in each of the following two seasons but missed the playoffs.  

But this season, it’s time for Mariners nation to stop biting its nails. Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Because every indication is that the team’s going somewhere in 2016.

Seth Gruen is national baseball columnist for Bleacher Report. Talk baseball with Seth by following him on Twitter @SethGruen.

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The Seattle Mariners erased a 10-run deficit by scoring a combined 14 runs in the sixth and seventh innings to defeat the San Diego Padres 16-13 on Thursday at Petco Park in San Diego.

The comeback was the largest in the franchise’s 40-year history, per MLB Stat of the Day.

Seattle became the first team since the 2001 Cleveland Indians to win a game after trailing by 10 or more runs through five innings, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via StatsCentre). The Indians erased a 14-2 deficit to beat the Mariners, 15-14, on Aug. 5, 2001, in Cleveland.

On Thursday, the Padres erupted for seven runs at the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 12-2 lead. They chased starting pitcher Wade Miley out of the game after he surrendered nine earned runs in 4.2 innings.

Seattle closed the gap at the top of the sixth thanks to a two-run double by Kyle Seager and a three-run homer by Dae-Ho Lee.

With two outs in the seventh, the Mariners reeled off seven straight RBI singles. Two of them came from Seager and Lee. Shawn O’Malley gave Seattle the lead for good after a single up the middle brought home Chris Iannetta, and Franklin Gutierrez capped off the offensive onslaught with a two-run single to center field.

Meg Rowley of Baseball Prospectus documented Seattle’s entire seventh inning:

ESPN Stats & Info noted how sharp the Mariners were with runners in scoring position:

The Mariners reacted accordingly after the seventh-inning explosion:

With the victory, Seattle climbed back into a tie for first place in the American League West with the Texas Rangers. The Mariners, who have been one of the league’s biggest surprises so far this season, seem to have finally turned the corner and become contenders.

Seattle will be dangerous all year if its offense can be a fraction of what it was Thursday.

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Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez has been placed on the disabled list with a calf injury sustained while celebrating a home run against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday, per Bob Dutton of the News Tribune. It’s unclear when he will return.

Continue for updates. 

Servais Comments on Hernandez’s Injury

Wednesday, June 1

Manager Scott Servais told reporters that Hernandez strained the calf on Tuesday while warming up to play catch. However, Servais said the team will keep Hernandez’s arm activated while he recovers.

Hernandez Placed on Disabled List

Wednesday, June 1

Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported left-handed starter James Paxton has been recalled from Triple-A to take Hernandez’s spot on the active roster. 

Hernandez Has Been the Model of Health During Career

Hernandez missed a scheduled start on April 22 due to an illness, but he’s otherwise been healthy during the 2016 season—a trend that has carried over from previous campaigns. 

The 30-year-old made 30 starts every season from 2006 through 2015, and he notched fewer than 200 innings pitched just twice during that span.

“I feel the same as I did when I was 21,” Hernandez told Divish in April. “I don’t feel any different. I have my own routine. I do a lot of stuff in the training room and in the weight room, and it’s why I feel that way.” 

A six-time All-Star and 2010 Cy Young Award recipient, Hernandez has posted a record of 4-4 this season while recording an ERA of 2.86.

Should the Mariners ace hit the shelf for an extended period, Servais will need to tinker with his rotation and find ways to avoid a backslide sans Hernandez. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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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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Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez earned the 146th win of his career on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays, passing Jamie Moyer to take sole possession of first place on the all-time franchise wins list, per Sportsnet Stats.

Now in his 12th MLB season, the 30-year-old righty had an ordinary game by his own lofty standards, limiting the struggling Tampa Bay lineup to two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings but with only four strikeouts.

Mariners shortstop Ketel Marte provided most of his team’s offense, recording four hits—including two doubles and a homer—in five at-bats, accounting for three runs and three RBI in the process.

Marte also provided the game’s pivotal moment when he broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with his three-run homer off Rays reliever Steven Geltz, who had inherited both runners from fellow reliever Dana Eveland, the losing pitcher in the contest.

Hernandez now owns a 3-2 record, 2.27 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, but he surprisingly has just 33 strikeouts (and 20 walks) over 43.2 innings through seven starts.

Although the numbers alone wouldn’t normally be cause for concern this early in the season, Hernandez’s declining velocity (per FanGraphs) suggests age and accumulated innings may be taking a toll.

Granted, it’s still early, and he’s certainly earned the benefit of the doubt.

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Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez added another accolade to his illustrious career Monday by becoming the all-time winningest pitcher in franchise history.

Hernandez passed Jamie Moyer with his 146th win, according to MLB Stat of the Day. Moyer took the time congratulate Hernandez on his accomplishment, courtesy of the team’s Twitter account:

The 30-year-old allowed only two runs on four hits to lead the Mariners to a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. He is now 3-2 on the season with a 2.27 ERA.

Sports Radio 950 KJR’s Dave Softy Mahler Show added context to Hernandez’s place in Seattle’s history:

Hernandez has been one of the game’s best pitchers for years, so it was only a matter of time before he became the most decorated hurler ever for the Mariners.

Seattle, sitting at 19-13, is atop the American League West and appears to have the lineup and pitching prowess to make a run at a playoff berth. If Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz continue to provide the offense, the 2010 AL Cy Young winner could find himself pitching in the postseason for the first time in his career.

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Taijuan Walker made his MLB debut in 2013. But as the Seattle Mariners entered the 2016 season, they were still waiting for him to arrive.

By that, we mean arrive in the big-picture sense—as in, deliver on his considerable promise and start making opposing hitters look foolish.

Six starts in…it’s happening. And it’s helping the Mariners emerge as a serious threat in the American League West.

Through 32 innings of work, the 23-year-old right-hander owns a 1.97 ERA with 29 strikeouts. Yes, he left Friday’s start against the Houston Astros after just two innings because of neck spasms.

But he said Saturday he’s feeling better and expects to take his turn Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.

That’s excellent news for the M’s, who sit atop the division at 19-13 entering play Tuesday, 1.5 games up on the Texas Rangers. 

Felix Hernandez remains the undisputed monarch of the Seattle rotation. But Walker is looking increasingly like a more-than-worthy No. 2 one season after posting a 4.56 ERA in 29 starts.

What’s the difference? For one, Walker is keeping the ball in the park.

In 2015, he surrendered 25 home runs in 162.9 frames. That works out to 1.33 home runs per nine innings, which was the eighth-highest total in baseball among qualified pitchers.

This season, Walker has allowed just three homers, lowering his HR/9 rate to a far less gaudy 0.84.

While the usual small-sample caveats apply, the key seems to be Walker relying less on his fastball and more on his offspeed pitches.

“Walker has been working to develop his curveball,” notes ESPN’s Mark Simon, “but while he’s doing so, his splitter (which some call a changeup) has been terrific.”

Indeed, Walker has upped the use of his changeup from 18.3 percent last year to 21.5 percent and has thrown his curveball 11.6 percent of the time compared to 7.2 percent in 2015. Use of his fastball, meanwhile, has dipped from 64.8 percent to 56.4 percent.

Concurrently, his groundball percentage has climbed from 38.6 percent to 50.5 percent.

That’s a lot of numbers, and they tell a story. But to get an idea of the leap forward Walker has taken, just watch him on the mound. There’s an unmistakable confidence—an air of control.

Skipper Scott Servais broke it down after Walker fanned 11 in a 3-2 victory over the Astros April 25, per Doug Miller and Brian McTaggart of MLB.com:

We’ve really seen that he has the ability to turn the dial up. Later in games there’s plenty in the tank. The adrenaline gets flowing, he gets a little emotional and he gets after it. He doesn’t back off. He keeps going after it and he’s got good stuff. He believes in himself and we certainly believe in him.

The Mariners should also believe in their chances to taste the postseason for the first time since 2001.

After winning 87 games and narrowly missing the playoffs in 2014, Seattle stumbled backward last season, finishing a disappointing 76-86.

Now, they’re squarely back in the mix, thanks in no small part to a starting staff that ranks second in the American League in ERA behind the Chicago White Sox.

The Rangers are a threat to repeat as division champs, particularly with Yu Darvish set to return from Tommy John surgery. And Houston—last year’s darling—is dangerous despite a disappointing start. The Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A’s are a notch below the Texas twosome, but neither is a complete pushover.

Like the rest of the Junior Circuit, the West is wide-open.

Right now, however, the Mariners might be the favorites with vintage Robinson Cano pacing the offense and Walker and Fernandez throwing like a pair of aces.

That’s exactly the role Walker could soon inhabit full time, as Jason A. Churchill of Prospect Insider outlined:

For years, many assumed Walker had ace upside because he threw hard and was athletic. I always contended he was likely a No. 2, and while I still see that for his ultimate long-term future, there’s a chance he’s not only a No. 1 in a year or less, but also an outside shot he’s among the 10-12 true aces in Major League Baseball by the time 2017 gets underway.

It’ll undoubtedly soothe some nerves in the Pacific Northwest to see Walker take his next turn and pitch well, putting the neck issue behind him.

Assuming he does, the Mariners—whom Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter slotted at No. 3 in his most recent MLB power rankings—will have a clear course to October.

And their arrival, not coincidentally, may well coincide with Walker’s.

All statistics current as of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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