Oh man, this one hurts. Mariners rookie shortstop Colt Emerson is officially done for the year, needing season-ending surgery on his left wrist. The news dropped after he’d already been on the injured list since August 14.
The Painful Truth About Colt’s Wrist and the Front Office’s Reaction
This isn’t just a bump in the road, it’s a gut punch for the 21-year-old and the M’s. The crazy part? After a brutal 1-0 loss to the New York Yankees, where Emerson was hitting a paltry .190/.244/.325 with below-average defense, the front office decided to demote him to Triple-A Tacoma. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and manager Dan Wilson met with him. Emerson, understanding the demotion, then said his wrist “it’s been a thing,” and he needed it examined. Dipoto didn’t mince words, telling the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude he wished Emerson had been “a little more upfront if it was bothering him that much.” He added, “He should have said something.” This wrist issue goes way back to early in spring training, even before Cactus League games, and he got a cortisone injection when he started the season in Triple-A. Remember that eight-year, $95 million contract the M’s handed him at the start of the MLB season? A record deal for a guy with no major-league experience. He was our No. 1 prospect, MLB’s No. 6, called up May 17. Now we know why he wasn’t looking like himself.
What Dipoto Said and the Broader Injury Woes
Dipoto later expressed some understanding, telling reporters on Friday that it “gives me some comfort to understand what happened during his time here.” He knows “it’s hard to hit with a bad wrist.” This context is huge because, let’s be real, Emerson’s never had issues with contact or velocity. Dipoto confirmed, “We saw things happening that didn’t make sense and this actually might make sense of it.” It’s just a rough look right now in the Emerald City. Shortstop J.P. Crawford is also on the IL with left wrist inflammation, though he’s doing a minor-league rehab assignment. And then Brendan Donovan, who Emerson replaced when he first came up, just got popped on the 7-day concussion IL after taking a hit to the head in batting practice. Injuries are piling up, and the M’s are feeling it.
Going into Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies, who are on a nine-game heater, our Mariners are sitting at 62-69. That leaves us three games back from both the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, tied for first in the AL West. We’re also three games out of the AL’s third wild-card spot, but with five teams ahead of us. It’s a tough road, M’s, but we’ve gotta keep fighting. Let’s see what happens tonight against the streaking Phillies.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply