Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco joined the Everett AquaSox for a rehab stint over the weekend in Eugene, Oregon, as Everett finished up a six-game series with the Emeralds with a five-game winning streak.
The 30-year-old Polanco, who was acquired from the Minnesota Twins in an offseason trade, was placed on the Mariners’ injured list on May 26 after suffering a hamstring strain. The former 2019 All-Star was the first Mariner to have a rehab assignment with Everett this season.
Polanco, a career .265 hitter in the big leagues, went a combined 1-for-5 at the plate during the AquaSox’s victories over Eugene on Saturday and Sunday, drawing two walks in Sunday’s tilt. Prior to the injury Polanco was batting .195 with 14 RBI and five homers for the Mariners.
Week in review
The AquaSox (31-31) went 5-1 in a six-game series against Eugene (31-30), closing the gap for third place in the Northwest League’s first half. The Frogs fell 11-2 in the series opener against the Emeralds, responding by winning the next five. Everett now sits just a half-game behind Eugene in the first-half standings, and 1.5 behind Hillsboro (32-29) for second. The Sox are six games behind league-leading Spokane, which clinched the first-half title Sunday to earn a spot in the Northwest League championship series.
Players of the week
Hitter: RJ Schreck. The 23-year-old had a whale of a week, leading the AquaSox in batting average (.438), on-base percentage (.550), slugging (.938) and OPS (1.488). The 6-foot-1 left fielder and 2023 ninth-round pick by the Mariners ended his week with back-to-back games with homers on Saturday and Sunday. He also had two doubles on the week, batting 7-for-16, upping his batting average to .241 on the season. For his efforts he was named the Northwest League Player of the Week.
Pitcher: Brandyn Garcia. The 24-year-old left-hander tossed six strong innings in his start Friday. The 6-foot-4 Garcia (5-0), Seattle’s 2023 11th round selection from Texas A&M, tallied nine strikeouts while allowing no earned runs and walking just one.
The week ahead
The AquaSox enter an important 13-game homestand against the top two squads in the Northwest League, beginning with a seven-game series against Hillsboro (32-29) this week followed by a six-game series against first-place Spokane (36-24) the following week. The Sox took three of the five games against the Hops in a series in early May, with the sixth game of the set being postponed due to inclement weather. The Hops are coming off an historic 17-4 win over the Tri City Dust Devils on Sunday, tying a franchise record with a 12-run fourth inning. The first half of the Northwest League season ends Thursday, with records resetting for the second half beginning Friday.
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