3:45pm: Cano told Greg Johns of MLB.com and other reporters that he’ll head to Philadelphia to see a hand specialist on Tuesday. Meanwhile, manager Scott Servais suggested that Gordon won’t be taking over for Cano at second, per Divish.
3:01pm: Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano has suffered a a fractured fifth metacarpal in his right hand, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets. The injury occurred Sunday when Cano took a pitch off the hand from Tigers starter Blaine Hardy, forcing him to exit the game in third inning.
It’s unclear how much time Cano will miss, though it’s worth noting that Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison and Giants ace Madison Bumgarner have suffered similar injuries in recent weeks. Harrison’s in the middle of at least a six-week recovery, while Bumgarner will end up missing around two months. It stands to reason Cano is likely in line for a similar absence, which is an awful development for a 22-17 Seattle team that’s just a game out of a wild-card spot as the season nears the quarter pole.
The 35-year-old Cano has been one of the driving forces behind the Mariners’ success this season, having slashed .287/.385/.441 with four home runs in 169 plate appearances. The former Yankee was clearly on his way to his fifth straight above-average campaign with the Mariners, who signed him to a 10-year, $240MM contract entering the 2014 season. Now, the durable Cano is likely to end up playing his fewest games in a season since he amassed 122 appearances as a second-year man in 2006. Entering 2018, he had appeared in at least 150 games in 11 straight seasons.
The Mariners replaced Cano on Sunday with utilityman Andrew Romine, but he likely doesn’t have the offensive skills to serve as a regular. The same goes for Taylor Motter, a 40-man option who’s currently in Triple-A, and fellow minor leaguer Gordon Beckham (he’s not on Seattle’s 40-man). The Mariners have a logical replacement for Cano in the 30-year-old Dee Gordon, who was a more-than-capable second baseman with the Marlins prior to this season. Seattle acquired Gordon in an offseason trade, and thanks to Cano’s presence, the club immediately shifted the speedster to center field. Gordon hasn’t drawn great reviews in the grass, though, with negative marks from Defensive Runs Saved (minus-8), Ultimate Zone Rating (minus-2.7) and Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric (minus-2).
While it’s unknown whether the Mariners would consider moving Gordon back to the keystone, it’s clear there aren’t many available choices on the open market. Veteran Brandon Phillips looks like the best of the free-agent bunch. Interest in Phillips has been scant, but he wants to play, and this injury could perhaps open the door for his return to the majors. The Mariners may be hard pressed to find someone who’s clearly superior to the 36-year-old Phillips on the trade front – general manager Jerry Dipoto’s preferred route. Not only are deals hard to come by at this point in the season, but the Mariners likely don’t have a strong enough farm system to acquire an impact player.
Yikes!!! And they don’t really have any good in-house options to replace him with
You could always put Dee Gordon back at 2nd till cano is back
True… never thought of that. Then put Heredia in CF every day I guess.
Damn it.
I’m guessing Gordon Beckham takes his spot. The lineup will still score runs but the M’s will really miss Cano’s presence in the lineup and at second. Gordon-Segura-Haniger-Cruz-Seager is not bad at all.
Although small sample size, possibly see how Healy does further up in the lineup as well
Also Healy
Except the line-up is then: L/R/R/R/L. Healy is also R. Note also that this team doesn’t walk much, which is okay if you hit for average… very worried about this line-up now.
Could mix it up and go Segura-Gordon-Haniger-Seager-Cruz. But really don’t like Cruz not hitting cleanup but Seager has been heating up in the power department lately. It’s probably more likely to have Cruz 3 and Haniger 5 even though Haniger has been much better this season.
I think that’s what we’re going to see, at least initially (Haniger batting 3rd; Beckham filling in).
son of a !@#!
Neil Walker could be a trade option once the Yanks get Drury and Bird back
No
But yeah
First off he’s starting to hit, the infield defense is better with him at first, he’s a switch hitter, he’s also a veteran presence. Austin more then likely will get sent down, and I wouldn’t doubt Drury winning the third base job back. Lastly his contract is cut him loose to be a FA versus being traded.
If he continues to hit there’s no way the Yanks cut him loose. Cashman will get some low level prospect for him. It’s not like Walker has an opt out
NTC with a player-team option to become a FA if cut. They can’t trade him nor will they want to. You can’t depend on Austin or Bird because of injuries, or for that matter Andujar who’s defense is suspect. Switch Hitting veteran players who play great defense aren’t walking through that door.
Scooter Gennett?
Rush back to miss the playoffs AGAIN. The greed meter couldn’t go any higher. Enjoy the money,rain,coffee and whatever else drew to to Seattle. Even your QB played for the Yanks.
Don’t be so butt hurt.
One of the weirdest posts I’ve seen.
Get over it, Sheff.
You guys need anything to eat dinner or tomorrow night I would love you more like I said yes I just want you know I don’t know if anything else is wrong.
This post makes even less sense then Sheff’s.
I’m laughing, but I’m also wondering if this is real. If so, I’ll take a pizza and some good beer, and nothing else is really wrong but thank you for asking.
And this is why you stay in school kids…
This is why people hate Yankee fans.
Everybody has fans that are hateable, you shouldn’t stereotype.
Actually everybody hates Yankee fans because the Yankees have crapped on your team for a century, to historical proportions. Any fan would be on a high horse in that situation. We won’t apologize for your team’s mediocrity.
Uh, the Ms haven’t even existed for a century. If you’re generalizing about all 29 other teams, I wouldn’t boast too much. The Yankees have always had more money than anyone else (biggest market), so a good amount of those vaunted championships are effectively bought. The luxury tax doesn’t help all that much, either.
Aside from that, though… people hate many Yankees fans for the same reason people hate Cowboys and Patriots fans in football. The unbelievable hubris. Have a bit of humility and the hatorade won’t flow quite so much.
“so a good amount of those vaunted championships are effectively bought” that is the most untrue tired narrative in sports. How about going back and looking at the 27 flags and explain which ones were bought, then go look at all the other teams that have won over the last say 20 years. If the Yankees bought even a few it was by playing by the rules set up by the league. Have a little anger at the owners who run your franchise cause that green eyed monster isn’t becoming.
Obviously you didn’t do your homework..ew the Yankees buy championships. You should write a letter to the commissioners office about how unfair it is. No wonder Seattle lost the SuperSonics.
So then why don’t the Mets have equally as many championships?
No Steve Chinwood Seattle lost the Sonics because of a corrupt commissioner a corrupt owner and corrupt politicians. The Mayor dropped the case moments before the final verdict which everyone that had heard stuff heard Seattle had won. We never heard from the mayor again after his term was done a few months later. Stern and Bennett both lied to Seattle fans and all NBA fans. There is a video on YouTube that has proof of most of this it is worth the watch. Sorry I forget the name.
As for all the championships you have won many are when there were what 8 teams in the league. You can reference titles from when they didn’t let minorities play in the league. When your grandparents weren’t even alive.
I also would like to apologize I shouldn’t have said all Yankee fans.I should have said many Yankee fans. I have met some fans that are great even living on the West Coast. I have also met some good ones that live in the East Coast. Every team has bad fans even Seattle. I apologize we all have arrogant and ignorant fans. Please accept my apologies.
Mets became a team in 1962. Since then, the Yankees have won eight WS titles. The Mets, two. Next closest team is the Cardinals with five.
So your “most of the championships came with only eight teams in the league” narrative is easily dismissed. And considering Jackie Robinson entered the league in 1947, so can your accusation of most of them coming before minorities could play as well. As since ‘47, the Yankees have won 17 titles. Not that it matters, it’s not like the Yankees weren’t also affected by the fact that minorities couldn’t play in the league.
Of course, when your team has 27 World Series titles “most of them” had to come at some point in the past. But that doesn’t keep them team from still having the most titles over that span.
“This is why people hate Yankee fans” Wow just wow, that word is so encompassing in meaning, shouldn’t you have used words such as..despise, deep repugnance, or maybe loathe. Oh well if you choose to hate another teams other then all the things in this world that are truly evil, well you truly need guidance. GO YANKEES!!!
Huh? I don’t get it!
Seems to be an annual event for canoe. Opposing pitcher would hit bagwell or biggio on the hand late in the season before the playoffs. Cqno needs to wear a spong on the right hand glove.
Hmm? Cano is one of the most durable players in the history of baseball.
Watching Gordon play CF almost every game proves why the D SABR metrics are so bad. He has made some great plays as well as making the ones he should. There is no way he should be negative in any D metrics.
He has made quite a few bonehead plays out there… More than the average CF in a season probably.
Yet, I still love him on the team (and caples for it last October).
He has missed a lot of plays he should have made. That’s the basic issue.
I see a head scratcher coming on. Brandon Philips is a FA…
Would like to see Hernan Perez from MIL or Ryan Flaherty from ATL has had a great season. Both probably hold too much value as Utilities for their clubs.
Red Sox second baseman/utility Eduardo Nunez is a good rental for the rest of the season. Pedroia is due back in a couple of weeks, so he’s available and will be a FA after this season.
he signed a two year deal
Phillips …
Joey Wendle from the Rays would be a nice minimum wage pickup……decent hitter, pretty good glove……
I said from Day 1 Seattle’s lack of depth would make them non-factors this year. Angels are going to get it too, just wait.
Kinda more prevalent with the Dodgers, wouldn’t you think.
….and of course Starling Castro is dying on the vine in Miami…….no prospect cost needed there……..
I could see Phillips being picked up by the M’s.
Villar could be had from the Brewers. He might be worth a gamble that he returns to his 2016 form over a six week stint.
I get that significant trades this early in the season are rare but I feel like second base is up there with 1b/dh types and middle relievers as the only position where you can realistically go get a stopgap option at any time for minimal prospect cost.
Darwin Barney would be a solid pickup