Seattle Mariners: When will Mitch Haniger return?
By Paul Taylor
With Mitch Haniger’s rehab from an oblique strain taking longer than expected, when is he likely to return to the lineup for the Seattle Mariners?
With Tuesday’s 10-4 win in Colorado, the Seattle Mariners continue to perform miracles with arguably the most injury-hit roster in the Majors. And with the cavalry on its way, being just 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot on the last day of May means a realistic challenge for the postseason is still feasible.
James Paxton returns to the mound on Wednesday, while Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are expected back in the rotation around mid-June. However, one player who has more uncertainty surrounding him, is Mitch Haniger.
Haniger has been on the disabled list since April 26 with a Grade 2 oblique strain, which usually takes at least four weeks to recover from. Obviously the four-week mark has now passed, with the team frustrated by how long his rehabilitation is progressing.
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This frustration mounted when the 26-year old suffered a setback, as reported by cbssports.com. He was expected to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday, but this was put on hold after his oblique injury acted up during a batting practice session.
CBS Sports did go on to write that the setback wasn’t considered serious, but it still represents another hitch in Haniger’s longer than expected recovery. As things stand, the projection is he will be back in the lineup around mid-June, although no one is taking this for granted given how slow his recovery has been up to this point.
Prior to his injury, the 2012 first round draft pick had arguably been the Mariners’ best hitter this season. Through 21 games, he had a slash line of .338/.442/.600, along with four homers, 16 RBI and 20 runs scored.
In truth, no one expected this level of production from Haniger prior to the season. He was part of the five-player trade last November with Arizona, which saw him come to Seattle with Jean Segura and Zac Curtis, in exchange for Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte.
Next: Hang in there, the cavalry is coming!
How much confidence do you have in the Mariners making a realistic challenge for the playoffs, with the casualty list finally beginning to slowly clear up? Share your thoughts in the comments section.