Seattle Mariners Will Use Jorge Polanco as Designated Hitter in Short-Term

The veteran Mariners infielder will continue to be held out of the infield for the next week or two as he deals with soreness.

Seattle Mariners third base Jorge Polanco (right) celebrates after hitting a home run against the San Francisco Giants on April 4 at Oracle Park. | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners got hit with the injury bug in a big way this week.

Starting outfielder Victor Robles is out for at least three months with a left shoulder fracture and starting second baseman Ryan Bliss is out four-to-five months due to surgery to repair a left bicep tear.

One of the Mariners' best hitters this season, 12th-year infielder Jorge Polanco, has received scheduled rest throughout the year after undergoing offseason surgery to repair a damaged patellar tendon in his left knee. But Polanco has been limited in what he's able to do in recent days.

Polanco, a switch-hitter, has received limited at bats from the right side compared to the left. Per postgame on Wednesday from manager Dan Wilson, this is due to him dealing with soreness while hitting right-handed.

Seattle has tried to offset those concerns by using him as a designated hitter. Per a report from The Seattle Times' Adam Jude, Polanco will continued to be used as a DH for the next one-to-two weeks.

As a designated hitter, Polanco had the go-ahead hit in a 4-3 win against the Houston Astros on Monday.

Injuries to Victor Robles, Ryan Bliss and Jorge Polanco have forced the Mariners to reshuffle their already thin infield.

Polanco is likely to be DH-only for another 1-2 weeks, per source, limiting M’s infield options. https://t.co/0Z4b8wxWdm

— Adam Jude (@A_Jude) April 11, 2025

Polanco is hitting .370 (10-for-27) this season with two runs, two home runs and 10 RBIs in eight games of a possible 13.

Stay hot, Polo 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/DtcOo1L1eI

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 8, 2025

Polanco's resurgence at the plate has been one of the biggest bright spots for the Mariners this season. His bounce back is made more impressive considering he's been limited to hitting from one side, and he's maintained his timing through several off days.

Polanco's injury creates questions for the infield. But it also creates another question of how good how he can be when he's able to hit from both sides again.

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