The Everett AquaSox were without the player who’s been their best offensive producer last week, and the Sox will have to figure out how to get by without him for a while longer.
First baseman Tyler Locklear, who’s been a fixture at the heart of Everett’s lineup, was placed on the injured list after suffering a broken bone in his right hand from being hit by a pitch.
Locklear is one of the most promising prospects on Everett’s roster. The Seattle Mariners selected the 22-year-old from Baltimore with a second-round pick in the 2022 draft, and he’s listed by MLB.com as Seattle’s 10th-best prospect. Locklear was considered a bit of an overdraft when he was picked out of VCU, but this year he’s been justifying his high selection. In 48 games with Everett he’s batting .311 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI, and his .991 OPS is tied for second in the Northwest League among qualified players.
However, on June 1 in a game against Hillsboro at Funko Field, Locklear was drilled on the hand by a pitch from Hops reliever Junior Meises. Locklear was immediately removed from the game, and subsequent scans revealed the break. He has since returned to the Mariners’ complex in Peoria, Arizona, to undergo treatment.
“He took 96, 97 mph to his right hand and it broke a bone in his hand and wrist area, so he’s back in Arizona right now,” Everett manager Ryan Scott said. “He’s definitely not out for the entire year, so hopefully he’ll be back in a month, month-and-a-half or so.”
Locklear’s loss leaves a gaping hole in Everett’s lineup. Hogan Windish has moved over from second base to take on the majority of the first-base duties, with Blake Rambusch and James Parker filling in more at second. Meanwhile the Sox, who were averaging 6.3 runs per game before Locklear’s injury, scored just 3.3 per contest in last week’s six-game home series against Vancouver, winning just twice.
“(Locklear) is a guy who’s been hitting fourth for us every single game, he’s the one coming up with runners on base and doing damage,” Scott said. “Obviously losing him hurts our lineup, but it’s an opportunity for other guys to step into a role and understand they get to be the ones who get some pitches over the plate and hopefully hit some balls hard.
“We don’t need anybody to be Tyler Locklear, we need them to be themselves and understand their identities as hitters,” Scott continued. “But it’s an opportunity for other guys in our lineup to show what they’ve got.”
Following the Vancouver series Everett is 27-30 and in fifth place in the standings, 4.5 games behind joint leaders Vancouver and Spokane.
Players of the week
Hitter: Axel Sanchez. The 20-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic is one of the more well-regarded prospects on Everett’s roster, being ranked by MLB.com as Seattle’s 15th-best prospect. Sanchez started the season slow, but he heated up against the Canadians, batting .316 with a .988 OPS in six games, leading the team with four runs scored. He was also a perfect 4-for-4 on stolen bases.
Pitcher: Brandon Schaeffer. The 23-year-old left-hander, who was selected by Seattle in the 18th round in 2022, was called up from Single-A Modesto at the start of the week to slot into the rotation for Nick Davila, who’s dealing with minor arm tightness. Schaeffer dazzled in his debut, striking out 10 in 6.1 scoreless innings. In two starts last week he compiled a 1.46 ERA, walked two and struck out 14 in 12.1 frames.
The week ahead
Everett begins a six-game road series against Tri-City on Tuesday. The Dust Devils are 30-27 and in third place in the Northwest League, 1.5 games out of first. The Sox are 2-4 against Tri-City this season.
Tri-City, an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, leads the league in ERA by a comfortable margin at 3.80. Right-hander Connor Van Scoyoc (3-3, 2.91 ERA, 24 walks and 47 strikeouts in 55.2 innings) has been the Dust Devils’ workhorse starter as he ranks second in the league to Everett’s Reid VanScoter in innings pitched. Left-hander Nick Jones (3.52 ERA, five walks and 26 strikeouts in 23 innings), is 5-for-5 in save opportunities.
On offense, first baseman Gabe Matthews (.236, seven homers, 31 RBI) has been the Dust Devils’ most consistent producer.
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