Mariners Spring Shocker! Unknown Minor Leaguer Steals the Show with First Homer of Spring
The Seattle Mariners lost their Cactus League opener on Friday afternoon, falling 5-2 against the San Diego Padres at the Peoria Sports Complex.
It was a rather sleepy performance for the M’s, who were two-hit despite running out a starting lineup of several regulars.
J.P. Crawford, Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh, Randy Arozarena and Mitch Garver all started for Seattle, failing to record a hit among them. Crawford did have a sacrifice fly before exiting. Each of those players had two plate appearances.
Jhonathan Diaz, in camp on a minor-league deal, allowed three runs in the bottom of the first inning, two of which came off the bat of Manny Machado.
The M’s showed a little life in the top of the ninth inning when utility player Samad Taylor connected for his first home run of the spring. It was also the first team home run of the spring and went out to deep left field.
Taylor was designated for assignment this past January and then outrighted to the minor leagues, meaning he’s not currently on the 40-man roster.
A 26-year-old speedster, Taylor broke in to the big leagues in 2023 with the Kansas City Royals. He played 31 games for Kansas City that year, stealing eight bases and registering a .200 batting average. The Mariners brought him in for the 2024 season, and he played in just three games, going 2-for-5 at the plate. He can play in the infield and the outfield.
The Mariners return to action on Saturday afternoon against the Los Angeles Angels. The game will be played in Tempe at 12:10 p.m. PT.
