Seattle will begin their season without starting shortstop J.P. Crawford after the team placed him on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his right shoulder.
The 31-year-old Crawford appeared in seven spring training contests, recording a .125 batting average along with one stolen base and three RBIs. Team officials don’t consider the shoulder issue to be a major concern, and Leo Rivas is expected to fill in at shortstop while Crawford recovers.
Seattle kicks off their season Thursday evening at home against the Cleveland Guardians.
During the 2024 campaign, Crawford appeared in 157 contests and posted a .265 batting average with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs. He continued his strong performance in the postseason, contributing one homer and four RBIs across 12 playoff games as Seattle advanced to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.
Throughout his nine-year major league career split between Philadelphia (2017-18) and Seattle (2019-25), Crawford maintains a .248 career batting average with 67 homers and 344 RBIs. He earned Gold Glove recognition in 2020 for his defensive excellence.
Seattle made additional roster moves Wednesday, placing infielder Miles Mastrobuoni on IL with a calf strain and right-handed pitcher Bryce Miller on IL due to an oblique injury. The team brought up catcher Mitch Garver by selecting his contract, while catcher Andrew Knizner cleared waivers and chose free agency.
The 35-year-old Garver spent the previous two seasons with Seattle and carries a .233 career batting average across 651 games over nine major league seasons.
