The Mariners can be both frustrating and thrilling. As a long-suffering fan of the major sports team with the longest current record of not being in the playoffs (thank you sooo much, Buffalo Bills!), this season started out with a…how shall I say it…feeling of MAYBE, just MAYBE we can pull it out and make the playoffs again. The team overcame a spate of early injuries, battled their way to a positive number in the win/loss column, and everyone seemed healthy. Then Robinson Cano got hit by a pitch in his hand. Broken bones, oh my. Well, he can heal from that, it will just take a few weeks. Then, BAM. a water pill takes him down and out for 80 days. Hey, he can go around the world in that time…
As a fan without a medical degree, I experienced initial confusion. I water pill? I have taken that before. What is the big deal? Then, reading a bit deeper into the news, it seems that particular drug is a masking agent for the more serious performance-enhancing drugs that are a definite no-no. Big sigh! What now?
But the bright news of the Mariners, as of today, May 20, 2018, is that they have a .578 percentage and are in second place in the AL West. James Paxton is clearly our new ace, with a no-hitter under his belt and continued strong outings. The rest of the team seems to be rallying, and the possibility of a playoff run is still alive.
What happens as the Mariners approach the mid-summer trade deadline? Our farm system is rated pretty low, so unless we cull from the active roster, we may not have much trade value, but, if the team can survive until Cano returns in August, we may be ok. Cano cannot play in the post-season per MLB suspension rules, but he can definitely help us make a playoff run in September. Oh, it is fun to be a long-suffering Mariners fan!