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Chavez is out for season, and Mariners need someone to step up in left field
Posted
at
4:35 pm
by By Kirby Arnold
The Mariners got the brutal confirmation today of what they suspected with outfielder Endy Chavez. He had an MRI this morning that showed his right knee suffered major ligament damage Friday night in the fifth-inning collision with shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt.
It's a huge blow to Chavez, who was having a nice season (.273, nine steals, five sacrifice bunts). He'll have surgery when the swelling goes down, which could take three weeks, and the recovery period could take the better part of a year. Chavez tore just about everything that could be torn in the knee.
It's also a hard hit to a Mariners team that needed Chavez's defense in left field (and as Franklin Gutierrez's backup in center), along with the spark he gave to a fairly sparkless offense with his speed.
How do the Mariners react?
At this moment, Wladimir Balentien is on the lineup card in left field for tonight's game against the Diamondbacks and there's quite a huddle near the Mariners' dugout involving manager Don Wakamatsu, GM Jack Zduriencik, assistant GM Lee Pelekoudas and team medical director Dr. Edward Khalfayan.
Right now, the Mariners will see if Balentien can play left and bring something to the offense. The leash will be short, however, because Balentien has shown neither the offensive pop nor the feel for left field that the Mariners need.
If he's not the guy in left, then Ronny Cedeno will get more playing time. And if Cedeno and his current .132 average can't hack it, don't be surprised to see the Mariners look elsewhere. And it could be somewhere other than Class AAA Tacoma because there's no sure-fire answer there.
Jerry Owens, picked up early this season, entered Saturday batting .297 with 10 steals for the Rainiers. He has major league experience, having led all rookies in the big leagues with 32 steals for the White Sox in 2007, but that's about all he might help the Mariners with. Owens is essentially a one-tool player (his legs) and doesn't have the arm to make him a viable candidate in the outfield at Safeco Field.
Michael Saunders was batting .296 with eight homers and 22 RBI in 162 at-bats with the Rainiers, but he's extremely young in his development and it would be a rush to bring him up now. And Prentice Redman was batting .305 with 11 homers and 29 RBI, nice numbers although he has fallen off recently. Also, the Mariners remember Redman's horrible spring training, when he seemed overwhelmed trying to make an impression in the Mariners' big-league camp.
What about Mike Carp? He's a sweet-swinging 23-year-old whose patience at the plate as a left-handed hitter has impressed the Mariners. He also has played some left field this year at Class AAA Tacoma, but not enough for the Mariners to feel comfortable sending him out there as the answer. That doesnt' mean Carp won't keep working to make himself a better left fielder -- he was out there during early batting practice this afternoon. However, in the all-else-fails situation that may occur in left field, Carp may be out there sooner rather than later.
Ken Griffey Jr., last night's hero with his game-tying homer in the eighth inning, was scratched from tonight's lineup because his left knee is sore after he played five games in the outfield last week during the road trip.
Here are tonight's lineups:
DIAMONDBACKS
Felipe Lopez, second base
Stephen Drew, shortstop
Justin Upton, right field
Mark Reynolds, first base
Gerardo Parra, center field
Miguel Montero, catcher
Eric Byrnes, left field
Chris Snyder, DH
Ryan Roberts, third base
Right-hander Billy Buckner, starting pitcher
MARINERS
Ichiro Suzuki, right field
Russell Branyan, first base
Adrian Beltre, third base
Mike Sweeney, DH
Franklin Gutierrez, center field
Wladimir Balentien, left field
Chris Woodward, second base
Rob Johnson, catcher
Yuniesky Betancourt, shortstop
Left-hander Jason Vargas, starting pitcher
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