The Seattle Mariners had an open spot on the roster that could have been filled by their top prospect, Colt Emerson. But that isn’t the route they went when they decided who to call up with starting third baseman Brendan Donovan going on the 10-day injured list Monday afternoon.
Seattle Mariners place 3B Brendan Donovan on 10-day IL
Mariners manager Dan Wilson addressed why the Mariners promoted Will Wilson from Triple-A Tacoma instead of Emerson in his daily pregame media availability ahead of Monday’s 6:40 p.m. contest at T-Mobile Park against the Athletics.
Wilson said one factor in the Mariners not calling up Emerson is that he has been dealing with a wrist issue, Mariners insider Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports relayed. The 20-year-old Emerson, who is currently in Triple-A, did not play Sunday in a 1-0 Rainiers loss to the Sacramento River Cats.
Emerson produced in the stretch before Sunday’s day off even though he went just 3 for 13 in the first five games of the six-game series against Sacramento. In those five games, he had two doubles, a home run, six RBIs and four stolen bases.
Ask and you shall receive!
COLT EMERSON OPPO HOMER! pic.twitter.com/TXlxA6h9fq
— Tacoma Rainiers (@RainiersLand) April 19, 2026
The Mariners had Emerson, usually a shortstop, split his time between short and third base in spring training, presumably preparing him to slot in at third when it was time to make his MLB debut. Donovan, a former National League Gold Glove winner as a utility player, has spent considerably more time in his big league career at second base and left field than at third. Emerson has played 13 games at short and two at third with Tacoma this season.
Emerson, the No. 7 overall prospect in all of baseball per MLB Pipeline, has a .258/.361/.452 slash line for an .813 OPS with two home runs, six doubles, six stolen bases and eight walks to 19 strikeouts in 18 games with the Rainiers.
As for the 29-year-old Donovan, he landed on the IL with a left groin muscle strain after coming out of Friday’s game and missing the following two games over the weekend against Texas with what was termed a hip issue.
Per Drayer, Wilson said Monday he doesn’t expect Donovan to miss much time but that the injury still warranted a stint on the IL.
Wilson said on Saturday that Donovan’s woes may be a result of sports hernia surgery he underwent in October.
“It’s something that you have to closely monitor and keep watching on,” Wilson said. “It’s a big surgery, and he did a great job of getting through it, getting to spring training, and the slow ramp-up in spring training. And now we’re into the season. So, it’s just continued monitoring.”
Donovan, the Mariners’ biggest offseason addition, is slashing .304/.437/.518 for a .954 OPS with three home runs, three doubles, eight RBIs and nine walks in 18 games for Seattle.
The Mariners (10-13) open a three-game series against the Athletics (11-11) at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park at 6:40 p.m. Monday night. Mariners Radio Network coverage on Seattle Sports begins at 5:30 with the pregame show.
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