PEORIA, Ariz. — The last time Casey Sadler stood on a pitcher’s mound with a hitter in the batter’s box was Oct. 3, 2021. It was Game 162 of the season when an overachieving Mariners team was finally eliminated from a spot in the postseason.
With Seattle trailing 7-3 and a sold-out crowd at T-Mobile Park still cheering and hoping for a miracle, Sadler entered the game in the eighth inning and did what he’d done so often that season — posted a scoreless frame. He struck out Phil Gosselin and Jared Walsh swinging and got Kurt Suzuki to ground out back to the mound to make it 29 appearances and 27 1/3 innings without allowing a run.
Walking off the mound, he had no idea that he wouldn’t face another hitter again until Friday.
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The circumstances were slightly different.
On Field No. 2 of the Mariners complex with a handful of curious fans watching until there was an autograph opportunity available and under the watchful eyes of the Mariners coaches and medical staff, Sadler faced teammates Dylan Moore and Cal Raleigh in a “live batting practice” session.
Neither Moore nor Raleigh swung at a pitch, which was by design. Sadler threw a mixture of four-seam and two-seam fastballs and a biting breaking ball in the Arizona sunshine.
“This was big for me,” he said with emotion in his voice.
A year ago, Sadler started to feel familiar fatigue and discomfort in his shoulder in the first weeks of a delayed spring training. It was similar to what he felt during the 2021 season when he was forced to the injured list for two months. Unlike in 2021, rehab and recovery wouldn’t work. He underwent surgery in late March to repair a posterior tear in his labrum and remove a cyst under his rotator cuff. His season was over before it started.
“It was tough, especially coming off of the way that ‘21 ended, how close we were, how excited we were going into last year and then going into spring training and the stuff that I was feeling in ‘21 was not gone. Having to get an MRI and having to get that kind of news was tough.”
A year-round Seattle resident, Sadler spent the time rehabbing, arriving early at T-Mobile Park to do his work and watching his teammates reach the postseason.
“It drove me to get back,” he said. “It drove me to do my rehab, to do the things that I needed to do. It drives me now. What they did last year makes me want that even more. It makes me want to get back. It makes me want to be 100% when I get back so that I can contribute the way I did before.”
Sadler was familiar with the grind of recovering from a surgical procedure. While with the Pirates, he missed all of the 2016 season due to Tommy John surgery.
“The toughest part about rehab for me is waiting for your body to tell you, ‘OK, we’re good to go to the next step,’” he said. “Mentally you might be ready to go. You might be like, ‘Hey, I’m good.’ But if your body’s not ready, you’re not ready. I think separating each day for what it is during that period of when I was going into T-Mobile and all that time was big. What do I need to do today to get better for tomorrow?”
After the Mariners designated him for assignment this offseason, removing him from the 40-man roster, he re-signed with the organization on a minor league contract and was invited to spring training. He reported to Arizona knowing that he wasn’t going to be ready to compete for a spot on the opening day roster.
While he can’t focus on the “when” of his return, he needed a reminder of the “why” aspect of what he needs to move forward. He went to pitching coordinator Trent Blank and pitching coach Pete Woodworth and asked for something more.
“We had a pretty good conversation yesterday of what can we do to kind of break up the monotony of just throwing bullpens, and how do we transition from that to a controlled environment,” Sadler said. “In that setting, I think we accomplished that today. I felt really good. I feel like I definitely have more in the tank. But for right now, I’m keeping it slow just to make sure everything goes right.”
Sadler understands that baseball careers are finite. They can expire through carelessness.
“It’s knowing that I need to maximize my time left in the game,” he said. “If I rush something or if I push myself to a point where it’s like you’re having to take a step backward, then that’s worse than taking a couple of days on the front end of something just to make sure you’re good. I’d like to play this game for quite a bit longer and not just one more year.”
The end goal is to not only help the Mariners during the season but in October and in seasons beyond.
Sadler wasn’t certain what was next for him. It might be another long bullpen session followed by a live BP where hitters will swing.
“It’s just listening to your body,” he said. “There is a big difference between throwing live BPs and getting out hitters at the major league level. So I definitely need some practice. It’s been almost a year and a half since I’ve seen a hitter live here. So we’ll check those boxes wherever they are, and just make sure I’m 100% when that call comes.”
Dings and dents
Outfielder Cade Marlowe was diagnosed with a mild right oblique strain after undergoing tests Friday morning. Marlowe said he felt some slight discomfort before Thursday’s game and began to notice it more after his first plate appearance.
Outfielder Jack Larsen, a nonroster invite to camp, was diagnosed with a broken hamate bone and is expected to undergo surgery to have it removed in the coming days.
Shortstop J.P. Crawford was removed from Friday’s game after one plate appearance. Manager Scott Servais said Crawford was dealing with some minor soreness, and they planned to limit him in the game.
Roster moves
The Mariners announced more roster moves before Friday’s Cactus League game as they trim down the number of players in camp:
Optioned to AA Arkansas:
- Isaiah Campbell, RHP
Optioned to A Everett:
- Jonatan Clase, OF
Reassigned to minor league camp:
- Justus Sheffield, LHP
- Jack Larsen, OF
- Robert Perez Jr., OF
With the moves, the Mariners have 66 players in their major league camp: 38 roster players and 28 nonroster invitees.