The Seattle Mariners are giving struggling second baseman Jorge Polanco a second consecutive night off on Friday. Dylan Moore is starting at second base as the team opens up a three-game weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park. That's especially noteworthy considering that Moore usually starts against lefties, whereas Kevin Gausman is pitching for Toronto. He's a righty.
Lineup! pic.twitter.com/tnKsUdIIan
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) July 5, 2024
We'll hear more from manager Scott Servais before the game on Friday but from afar, this feels like the last chance for Polanco in Seattle.
Acquired from the Minnesota Twins in a big offseason trade, Polanco has just never gained his footing in the Pacific Northwest. A former All-Star, Polanco is hitting just .195 with five homers, 15 RBI and two stolen bases. He's also been on the injured list with a hamstring issue.
At this point, the Mariners have done almost everything they can do to try and help him along. They have moved him all around the order. They gave him an extended rehab stint in Tacoma when he came back from his injury to try to get his bat going, and while he raked for the Rainiers, he hasn't been able to translate it over. He's routinely swung and missed at the changeup out of the zone and appears to have lost confidence. Furthermore, the boos reigned down upon him in the last series against Baltimore.
I'm not ready to declare Polanco as a bench player - yet, but this little mini mental reset feels just about the last lever that Scott Servais can pull.
The Mariners play the Blue Jays on Friday at 6:40 p.m. PT.