The Seattle Mariners are marching to their first playoff appearance in over 20 years. It is definitely a reason to celebrate for Seattle sports fans. However, the Mariners will be without Jesse Winker for at least the first two rounds of the postseason, assuming of course that the team survive their initial assignments.
The Mariners have placed Winker on the 10-day injured list due to a neck injury. This is a rough development for Winker, especially since he had not put up a quality performance at the plate in his first regular season with the Mariners in which he only batted .219/.344/.344.
“The issue with his neck is not going to allow him to get out and play and it looks like it’s going to be an issue going forward,” manager Scott Servais stated Wednesday, via Adam Jude of The Seattle Times.
Along with his dismal slash line, Jesse Winker also had a career-low 103 OPS+, a big step down from the 143 OPS+ he posted in 2021 wiht the Cincinnati Reds. The Mariners signed Winker in the offseason to a two-year deal worth $14.5 million.
Given Winker's letdown production at the plate, the Mariners must not have been expecting too much from him even if he avoided the injury. The Mariners are pinning most of their hopes on what the bats of the likes of rookie sensation Julio Rodriguez, Eugenio Suarez, and Ty France could do in the playoffs where they will be meeting the Toronto Blue Jays in the Wild-Card round. If the Mariners pass that test, they will be going up against the mighty Houston Astros in the American League Division Series.
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