Brennen

Davis

Davis did a nice job during Cactus League play, but he was always considered a longshot to land a bench spot on the M’s Opening Day roster. Diaz and Dunning will begin the year as extra pitching depth at Triple-A Tacoma.

The Mariners will keep an eye on him, but it sounds much more like a day-to-day type of injury than anything that’s going to shelve the 26-year-old outfielder for a considerable amount of time. Davis has done a nice job for the M’s this spring, hitting .353 (12-for-34) with four homers and six RBI as he attempts to land a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster.

The 26-year-old outfielder appeared to tweak something while swinging, then jogged very gingerly to first base before being removed. He’ll head for further evaluation. Expect the M’s to provide an update on his status as soon as more information becomes available.

No word yet on the severity. However, with Seattle’s season-opener roughly two weeks away it’s possible he’ll require a trip to the injured list. The versatile 30-year-old’s absence could potentially open the door for sizzling-hot former top prospect Brennan Davis to win a spot on the club’s Opening Day roster.

Davis continues to build a strong case for a spot on Seattle’s season-opening roster, hitting .458 with a Cactus League-leading four round-trippers and eight extra-base hits through 10 contests. The 26-year-old former top prospect took Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski deep for a 464-foot solo shot in the sixth inning of this one. It’ll take some help for him to break camp in the majors but he’s doing just about everything imaginable at the moment to make it happen.

Davis, who was a Top 100 Prospect for Baseball America each season from 2019-22, never has had much luck staying healthy but still flashes outlandish talent from time to time. For instance, today’s homer off Jack Leiter was crushed at 116.7 mph. He doesn’t have much of a chance of making the Mariners out of spring training, but he could potentially help against lefties if can stay off the IL.

Davis took major league-caliber reliever Jose Cuas deep in the sixth inning for his second round-tripper of the spring as part of a three-hit effort off the bench. The 26-year-old outfielder was a notable prospect with the Cubs just a few years and makes for an interesting reclamation project for the Mariners. He’s likely ticketed for Triple-A Tacoma at the end of camp, barring an unexpected development.

The Mariners were trailing 9-8 when Davis swatted his three-run homer. He also drew a pair of walks. Once one of the best outfield prospects in the sport, Davis has struggled with injuries — and just struggled even when on the field — and now projects as a depth piece for Seattle in Triple-A Tacoma.

Davis was universally-regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball roughly a half decade ago with the Cubs before injuries derailed his promising career. The 26-year-old outfielder, who has yet to ascend to the big leagues, fits the mold of a zero-risk flyer for the Mariners as extra outfield depth at Triple-A Tacoma. He .271/.364/.612 with 17 homers in 198 plate appearances, albeit with a lofty 28.8 percent strikeout rate, over 50 games at the Triple-A level this past season.

Davis was a top prospect for the Cubs, ranked as high as 16th overall by Baseball America back in 2022. However, injuries sidetracked his progress, and the Cubs non-tendered him in the off-season. The Yankees brought him in on a minor league contract, and he’s gone 9-for-19 in five games at Triple-A with two home runs and five RBI. The Yankees have a crowded outfield, so there’s no guarantee Davis gets a shot this season, but it would be a big win for his career if the 25-year-old can have a steady run of production in the minors this year.