Mariners News: Marte and Martin Could be Back in M’s Lineup Next Week

The Mariners’ bats have been hot lately, but with Marte and Martin returning soon, the team will be getting a little added boost here in June.

This Mariners team is the best we’ve had in Seattle in a long time. Pretty much every M’s squad since 2003 has been mediocre at best.

Not only is the team’s record much improved over previous years, this year just feels different. Everything seems to be going right. They are never out of a ballgame, even if they’re down 12-2.

The only Achilles heel this team could have in the long run is injury. Now I’m not saying they are injury prone, and I don’t think they are. All I’m saying is having a starting position player or two out doesn’t help the team.

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Since Ketel Marte was placed on the DL on May 22, followed by Leonys Martin on May 27, the Mariners are 5-6, not terrible, but they hit a bit of a rough patch when he and Martin went down.

Surprisingly enough, the offense hasn’t taken too much of a hit, scoring 47 runs in the 4-game set with San Diego. The starting pitching has really been to blame for the recent lack-luster performance from the team.

Regardless, I think the return of both Marte and Martin will boost both the lineup and the overall confidence of the team.

After yesterday’s loss to Texas, I think winning just one game in the series would be a win. Leaving Texas, down just a game in the west, this team will be in good shape. Then we would get Marte back for the 4-game series against Cleveland and Martin back for the 3-game set against Texas, giving us ample opportunity to make up any lost ground in the division.

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Hopefully the return of these core players will boost the starting pitcher’s confidence and light a fire under them to step it back up. If not, maybe the M’s continue to play .500 ball until Felix returns in mid-June.

Overall, worst case scenario, I think the Mariners stay in this rut for a few games like they did earlier in the season and break out of it and maybe go on another tear with the return of Marte, Martin, and Felix. And heck, even Tony Zych is scheduled to throw off a mound next week and could return in July.

Next: Rangers Edge Mariners in Series Opener

Looking at the big picture here, injuries suck, and there isn’t a whole lot you can do but just wait them out. The good news here is that it’s just the beginning of June. The M’s will have their core back by the end of the month, and hopefully are back into their winning ways by July. This is just a bump in the road, as every team will have over the course of a 162-game season, it’s how a team overcomes those bumps that determines where they’ll be in October. And I have a good feeling that this team will be just fine.