The Seattle Mariners have lost one of their most important players as they look to secure the franchise's first postseason berth in a generation. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez will be placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right middle finger, the team announced Saturday. Utility man Dylan Moore was activated in a corresponding move.
Suárez suffered the injury when a ground ball clipped his finger Friday night. He showed discomfort taking a swing later in the game and was removed a few innings after that. Here's the video:
Manager Scott Servais told reporters, including the Seattle Times, the team hopes Suárez can return as a DH in 10 days. The bigger concern is being able to grip the ball and make a proper throw. Abraham Toro and Jake Lamb are the most likely candidates to take over at third base in the meantime.
Acquired from the Cincinnati Reds as part of the Jesse Winker trade this past offseason, Suárez has had a resurgent season, hitting .235/.335/.470 with 31 home runs and solid defense. That's after hitting .199/.293/.440 in over 800 plate appearances the last two seasons. Suárez has been a steady middle of the order presence all year.
The Mariners enter Saturday with a 80-63 record and 5 1/2 game lead for a wild-card spot. Seattle has baseball's longest postseason drought. They last qualified for the postseason in 2001, Ichiro Suzuki's rookie year.
