Four Ways the Baseball Gods Cursed the 2023 Mariners

Each MLB team is blessed and cursed at different points in the season. This year, I think that the baseball gods were especially unkind at times.

Curse #1: Head, Shoulders, Elbows, and Forearms!

Did the gods suddenly remember that the 2022 seasons featured no serious pitcher injuries? If so, they decided to double down this season. They cursed two veteran lefty starters, two right-handed young starters, and one relief pitcher.

LHP Robbie Ray was the first to fall. After a fantastic Spring Training, he could not continue pitching in the season's second game. It was no joke that he went on the 15-day IL with a flexor strain on April 1. On April 9, RHP Andrếs Muñoz joined Ray on the IL. After pitching six-plus no-run innings against Toronto at Rogers Centre, RHP Easton McGee joined the others on April 30 with a right forearm strain.

On "May the Fourth be With You," RHP Penn Murfee joined the 15-day IL. LHP Marco Gonzales moved to the 15-day IL on June 3 with a forearm strain. Murfee was activated for a short three days and then went back on the list with elbow inflammation. Luckily, Muñoz returned and was back with the team on June 6. The Mariners eventually decided to move a few pitchers to the 60-day IL: Ray on June 12, Murfee on July 5, and Gonzales on July 26. On August 21, Emerson Hancock joined the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain and on the next day was put on the 60-day IL.

How Much Time Will it Take for These Pitchers to Recover?

As of early October, fans know that Ray, McGee, and Murfee have had or will have Tommy John surgery to stabilize their elbows. Marco Gonzales had surgery to relieve pressure on a nerve in his forearm, and Emerson Hancock had a platelet-rich injection to his shoulder to accelerate healing. The latter two will likely be ready to join the team at Spring Training while the three who had TJ surgeries will likely miss a good chunk of the 2024 season.

It is clear that pitching takes a lot out of a player's shoulders and arms. The Mariners were fortunate to have a number of young pitchers who turned out to be more than ready to be in the big leagues.

Curse #2: Jarred Kelenic Did Not Kick the Bucket, But HIs Encounter with the Cooler Broke His Foot

Did the baseball gods convene and decide on an injury that would not only take Kelenic off the field but would also really upset him? I am certain that Kelenic was not the first player to kick a cooler but for whatever reason, this kick yielded a broken foot.

Jarred Kelenic is a talented player. He can also be emotional and intense. While everyone was disappointed that he would miss time with the team, there was no one more upset than Kelenic himself. His frustration at batting poorly was due to his love for the team. To think that he took his frustration out in a way that would hurt the team led him to feel that he had let his teammates down.

Kelenic kicked the cooler and was put on the 10-day IL on July 20 but was back for a Tacoma Rainiers rehab assignment in over a month. On August 30, he began playing in Tacoma and by September 11, he was back at T-Mobile Park.

Kelenic came out in April and May, making 28 hits in April and 25 in May. He had a drier June and July which might have been part of the frustration he expressed that day. He is a talented and beloved player who fans are glad to have back in one piece.

Curse #3: After Hitting with Great Success in August, the Mariners had a Batting Drought in September.

It seems as if the baseball gods decided to rain on the Mariners hitting parade in September. Their successful August helped to put them in contention for the post-season. They might have won some key games in September, however, had their batting been stronger.

I looked at several players’ hitting numbers for June through September.  Julio Rodríguez had 180 hits for the year, so an average of 30/month. In August, Rodríguez made 45 hits. In September, he had 26 hits. He had no hits for the final series with Houston and for three out of the four final games against the Rangers.

Skipper Scott Servais often says something like “Where goes Julio, there go the Mariners.” I think we could say that this is true for August and September 2023. Teóscar Hernández had 38 hits in August and 25 in September. Geno Suárez also followed Rodríguez with six fewer hits. Cal Raleigh bucked the trend and had four more hits in September. J.P. Crawford joined Raleigh and had only 18 hits in August but 29 in September.

I cannot imagine how tired baseball players must be by September. Is there a way to rest some of the best batters in August so they have more energy in September?