PEORIA, Ariz. — With morning rain washing away the afternoon games in the Cactus League, the Mariners and Padres played a 10-inning “B” game on San Diego’s side of the complex Thursday morning to get their pitchers, who were supposed to throw Wednesday, their requisite innings of work.
Given the controlled nature of a B games where innings can be “rolled” or ended even if there haven’t been three outs recorded, they opted to have Andres Munoz pitch in that game instead of Friday night’s Cactus League games vs. the Padres in the main stadium.
After Marco Gonzales tossed four innings, Munoz came in to pitch the fifth. He retired the first two batters he faced, walked a hitter and then gave up a single. The Mariners “rolled” the inning with Munoz having thrown 19 pitches.
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“I feel today that I was thinking too much about the pitch clock, and I started to worry too much about it,” he said. “I started to work faster, every time. It’s something that I never expected to happen, but you know, it is what it is. It’s the first game that I’ve thrown in since the ankle [surgery], so it feels pretty good.”
The Mariners had a pitch clock up during Munoz’s live batting practice sessions. But they didn’t enforce it the way the umpire would in the B game.
A year ago, Munoz had the habit of walking around the mound after every pitch. Part of it was to calm down the sting he would feel in his right ankle after every pitch.
“Normally, I take a lot of time on the mound,” he said. “You have to make adjustments. This was the first one. So right now, I used to have to figure out what I have to do to be more aggressive in every pitch even if I have to do it faster.”
Admittedly, he wasn’t expecting to pitch in a B game. And it felt different.
“With these types of games, I don’t feel like the adrenaline and all that things are in a game,” he said. “Maybe that is something I have to think about — I have to get ready all the time and it doesn’t matter where it is.”
Munoz’s two fastballs — the four-seam and the sinking two-seam — were around 97-99 mph while his slider was 85-86 mph. He’s had extensive conversations with Luis Castillo about the usage of two fastballs and how they play off each other.
“I talk a lot with him a lot about that,” Munoz said. “He’s taught me a lot of things about that pitch. I feel with time I’m going to get more used to it and have more command with it where I’m going to be able to throw in all the counts like with my other pitches. But I just have to give it time and throw it more.”
Diaz injury reverberates in camp
Given the stakes surrounding the game with the winner advancing to the next round and three Mariners playing, including Julio Rodriguez, Wednesday night’s game between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico was appointment viewing for many people in the Mariners camp.
For many in camp, seeing Edwin Diaz, who was drafted, developed and converted into one of baseball’s best closers with the Mariners, close out Puerto Rico’s stunning 5-2 upset win offered great satisfaction. Diaz was a popular player and teammate during his time in Seattle, and it also meant that Rodriguez, Teoscar Hernandez and Diego Castillo would be returning to Arizona to focus on the upcoming season.
But then the awful scene played out on live television with the Puerto Rico players jumping in a circle near the mound and Diaz collapsing to the ground, grabbing his knee in pain. He was taken off the field in a wheelchair.
“It was horrible what happened last night with Eddie Diaz,” manager Scott Servais said in his morning meeting. “I hope everything works out OK. But gosh dang, that was rough. I hope it’s not something serious.”
It was serious.
The Mets announced Thursday that Diaz had suffered a torn patellar tendon. The injury requires immediate surgery, which will keep him out at least six months if not longer. His 2023 season is done.
“Things happen, and it’s just weird,” Servais said after Thursday’s Cactus League game vs. the Giants. “Things can happen at any time. I feel really bad for him and the Mets.”
Asked if they should still play the WBC, Servais replied with a grunt and walked off.
Dings and dents
Infielder Dylan Moore was supposed to play in his first Cactus League game of the spring Thursday. After offseason surgery in December to repair a torn core muscle, Moore had slowly been building up his progression in the first month of spring training. But about two hours before first pitch, he was scratched from the starting lineup.
“In the cage this morning, he felt something in his side,” Servais said. “I don’t know what it is yet. He’s going to have some pictures taken of it. But you don’t want to put him out there unless he feels 100% percent. He felt something so we shut it down.”
Any sort of injury that keeps Moore out for an extended period presents a problem for the Mariners. He was slotted to be the backup shortstop and see action at that position or at second base vs. left-handed starters.
Starting shortstop J.P. Crawford is currently dealing with some shoulder inflammation but has been playing catch and should return to game action in the coming days.
Of the Mariners three projected bench players — Moore, Tommy La Stella and Sam Haggerty — only Haggerty is completely healthy. Moore has yet to play in a game while La Stella’s right shoulder inflammation hasn’t allowed him to play any positions other designated hitter. Servais said Tuesday that La Stella is still not cleared to throw for another seven days.
If Moore is out for any amount of time, the Mariners would likely turn to minor league infielder Mason McCoy. Acquired in a minor league trade last season, McCoy is an outstanding defensive player who had a career year with Class AAA Tacoma, posting a .264/.331/.397 slash line with 23 doubles, five triples, 21 homers, 63 RBI, 50 walks and 130 strikeouts.