Mariners blatantly ignore pleas for Colt Emerson with Brendan Donovan IL move

At some point in 2026, Colt Emerson will take his place at third base and bump Brendan Donovan into a utility role. This is the nutshell version of the plan, so it's fair to ask why the Mariners didn't put the Emerson part into action when they placed Donovan on the injured list on Monday.

The move to put Donovan on the IL comes after he left Friday's game against the Rangers early with left hip discomfort. Now we know he has a left groin strain, and that his placement on the IL is retroactive to April 18.

The Mariners are calling up Will Wilson in a corresponding move, and he's in the organization for precisely this scenario. What he lacks in major league experience (34 games), he makes up for with minor league experience (540 games) and plenty of versatility. Leo Rivas figures to spell Donovan at third for the most part, but Wilson can help at third, second and shortstop as needed.

Meanwhile, social media is a veritable hornet's nest of upset Mariners fans, many of whom are shocked that Donovan's promotion wasn't the corresponding move for Donovan's IL stint.

Mariners' refusal to call up Colt Emerson could tell us how long they expect Brendan Donovan to be out

Emerson is, after all, the No. 7 prospect in MLB as ranked by Eric Cole of FanSided. More to the point, he's only a few weeks removed from inking a $95 million contract that all but guaranteed a sooner-than-later ascension to Seattle.

Though he's still just 20 years old, Emerson has 24 games at the Triple-A level under his belt. He's hit well there to the tune of a .908 OPS, and it's hard to talk about his defense at shortstop without straying into hyperbole. He's really good there, and thus can surely handle third base.

Here's the thing, though: Emerson has to be an everyday player whenever the Mariners call him up, and Donovan's IL stint doesn't necessarily clear the way for that to happen.

According to data from FanGraphs, players who hit the IL with groin strains last year missed an average of 27 days. Yet a couple were back as soon as their 10-day IL stints were slated to be over, so quick comebacks are possible.

Donovan may be slated for one of these. When he initially hurt himself while making a throw from third base on Friday, Dan Wilson figured he was "day-to-day." Per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Wilson still doesn't sound too concerned about Donovan and added that Emerson is dealing with a wrist issue in his own right.

A better argument for Emerson's call-up might actually concern the DH spot, into which Donovan could have hypothetically settled upon his return. But this was more practical when Dominic Canzone and Rob Refsnyder were ice-cold, and both have shown signs of life lately.

And so, the wait for Emerson goes on. The Mariners shouldn't call him up until the time is exactly right, and they have a fair case that now is not that time.

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