Seattle Mariners Projected Starter Not at Spring Training Yet Because of Visa Issues
In this story:
Before spring training began on Feb. 12 for the Seattle Mariners, the team had to shore up the holes on the roster throughout the offseason.
The Mariners entered the break with needs at first base, second base, third base and the bullpen. And Seattle's only brand-new addition to the infield will have to wait at least until the end of the week before making his spring training debut with the team.
According to a tweet on "X" (formerly known as Twitter) from The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish, Solano is dealing with Visa issues and currenly isn't at big league camp. The organization's hope is that he will report to spring training by Feb. 21, per the report.
Donoven Solano is having visa issues and hasn’t reported to camp yet. The Mariners hope he will be in Peoria by Friday.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) February 18, 2025
Solano was one of the Mariners' two "big" signing to address their infield woes. The club also re-signed Jorge Polanco to play third base (he played second for the club in 2024).
Solano agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal after a solid 2024 with the San Diego Padres.
Solano hit .286 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs in 96 games in 2024. Solano was one of the more consistent hitters for a Padres team that forced the eventual World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, to a fifth (and final) game in a National League Divisional Series last year.
Solano hasn't had less than a .280 batting average and a .724 OPS for six seasons in a row.
Donovan Solano is the hero in the @Padres #walkoff win! pic.twitter.com/I4HEUczMLZ
— MLB (@MLB) July 31, 2024
Solano is expected to play a hybrid role for Seattle in 2025. He'll split time with Luke Raley at first base and also occasionally be the designated hitter. He's also capable of standing at second and third if the situation calls for it.
It's unfortunate for the Mariners that their only new every-day infielder will be away from camp for the next several days. But if the past six seasons are any indication, Solano will be a pleasant surprise for fans in attendance for spring training.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
WATCH: MARINERS VETERAN GETS THE BEST OF TEAM'S ACE: Crawford got to Logan Gilbert in a live at-bat during the first joint practice of spring training. CLICK HERE
HERE'S HOW MUCH JUSTIN TURNER WILL MAKE WITH CHICAGO CUBS: The former Seattle Mariners first baseman signed a cheap one-year deal with his new team. CLICK HERE
MARINERS RELIEVER GABE SPEIER SHARES EXCITEMENT FOR HEALTHY SEASON FROM THE BULLPEN: The Mariners left-handed reliever went on the Couch GM podcast and was eager for a healthy 2025 from Gregory Santos and Matt Brash. CLICK HERE
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
