When Will Mariners Activate Justin Upton?
Veteran outfielder Justin Upton signed a one-year major league contract with the Mariners back on May 21, but nearly a month has passed since then and he still hasn't been added to their 26-man roster.
Upton, who hadn't played for two months after being released by the Angels in March, initially reported to extended spring training and eventually made his way to Triple-A Tacoma on June 1. Thus far, he has gone 7 for 40 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI in 10 games played.
Assisting his .175 batting average are some concerning swing and miss issues, resulting in 17 strikeouts—or 37 percent of his 46 plate appearances—against lower tier competition. That certainly doesn't bode well for his chances of faring much better at the MLB level, which has potentially thrown up some red flags for Seattle.
Manager Scott Servais indicated on May 31 that the organization has plans to play Upton on a regular basis when he's finally activated, with right field being his primary defensive home. However, he has only been stationed in right for four of the 10 games he's played in, with only one such appearance coming over the past week's worth of games, and has otherwise served as the Rainiers' designated hitter.
It should be noted that Upton hasn't played right field in a major league game since 2013—almost a full decade ago. In addition to the obvious inexperience and rust he would have there, his whopping -29 outs above average since 2016 suggests the likelihood of him being a liability in the field is noticeably high.
The Mariners are already sacrificing run prevention for offensive upside in a corner outfield spot with Jesse Winker, who currently ranks in the seventh percentile in outs above average and second percentile in outfielder jump. For Upton to play with the consistency Servais has alluded to, it's possible he and Winker would have to bookend centerfielder Julio Rodríguez on most nights.
That could prove disastrous and, if Upton is swinging it the way he has down in Tacoma, pointless.
Seattle's desperation for any new face in the outfield has fluctuated over the past few weeks, with Taylor Trammell most notably coming up and finding some success. Through 56 plate appearances, over which he has more or less served in a traditional platoon with Dylan Moore, the 24-year old has slashed .234/.327/.489 with two home runs, six RBI and a 136 wRC+. He has also struck out a more-than-workable 23.2 percent of the time with a 12.5 percent walk rate.
Trammell, however, was in visible discomfort with what looked to be an ailing shoulder throughout the Mariners' 5-0 win over the Twins on Tuesday night. He managed to finish the game, but certainly did not look 100 percent doing so.
If Trammell is forced to miss time, that would further necessitate Upton's return to the majors. But even if not, the opportunity to DH could present itself to the veteran.
Kyle Lewis has yet to resume baseball activities after suffering a concussion on May 28 and will have to begin a rehab assignment once he's finally cleared, which could be in a matter of days or much longer. The hitters Seattle has rotated through the DH spot in Lewis' absence have provided next to nothing in terms of production, posting the third-worst wRC+ (40) in baseball since May 29.
If the Mariners think Upton can clear this incredibly low bar, then having him DH full-time may be the most beneficial outcome for both sides in this situation. The team can see what it has in the bat without putting its middling defensive unit at a greater disadvantage and risking injury for the 34-year old, who's missed 292 of a possible 486 games the past three seasons.
Besides, a DH rotation is only as good as the players that make it up. Evidently, Seattle is severely lacking in the talent department on that front.
This isn't to say Upton is a fix—far from it, actually. But how much worse offensively could he be than what the Mariners are currently running out at a spot he could fill? Finding out may still be worth the trial run.
That said, Upton will need to show he can hit better than he has in order for him to get the call up, though he's 3 for his last 7 with two singles, a double and a walk. Perhaps that will push him in the right direction.
The Mariners will need to make a decision on him sooner rather later, however, considering the fact he is signed to a major league deal. If he fails to convince the organization he's capable of contributing this summer, it's likely we'll never see him don the navy and Northwest green.
