Mitch

Garver

It’s about time. The Mariners gave Andrew Knizner a major league deal earlier this winter, apparently because they felt that with having baseball’s best catcher as their starter, they could get away with its 80th-best as his backup. Garver, who, according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer, will earn $2.25 million if he makes the team, should overtake Knizner and slide into his old role, though he probably won’t see much time DHing against lefties as he has at some points.

Garver had a $12 million mutual option for 2026, but he will instead be paid $1 million and become a free agent. It was a rough stretch for Garver as a Mariner, hitting .187/.290/.341 in 720 plate appearances with 24 home runs and a nearly 30 percent strikeout rate over two seasons. He might find a bidder as a potential designated hitter.

The Mariners are using the same lineup they did in Game 2 against Skubal, with Dominic Canzone sitting against the lefty. Garver went 1-for-3 in that game, which proved to be a 3-2 victory for the Mariners. The full lineup: LF Randy Arozarena, C Cal Raleigh, CF Julio Rodríguez, 2B Jorge Polanco, 3B Eugenio Suárez, 1B Josh Naylor, DH Garver, RF Victor Robles, SS J.P. Crawford.

Naylor has yet to depart for Arizona to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, which means he’s still in there for a critical Game 2 showdown against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. The 28-year-old slugger figures to head out on paternity leave at some point during the best-of-five series. Here’s the full lineup: Randy Arozarena (LF), Cal Raleigh (C), Julio Rodríguez (CF), Jorge Polanco (2B), Eugenio Suárez (3B), Naylor (1B), Mitch Garver (DH), Victor Robles (RF) and SS J.P. Crawford.

Garver came up huge with a go-ahead homer off Connor Brogdon to give Seattle the 2-1 lead and ultimately the win in the seventh inning. The 34-year-old backstop has nine homers on the year, and he’s become nothing more than a backup backstop at this stage of his career. Tonight, however, he helped Seattle win their seventh-straight game and remain tied for first place with the Astros.

Ford, the 12th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, will make his major-league debut after hitting .283/.408/.460 with 16 homers and seven steals for Tacoma. He possesses incredible athleticism and stolen base prowess for a catcher, which gives him immediate fantasy relevance. After seeing a little time in the outfield last year, he was exclusively a catcher this season. He probably won’t be a full-timer for the Mariners, but he could see some action between DH and catcher in tandem with Cal Raleigh, at least when Jorge Polanco is starting in the infield. Mitch Garver is surely in line for less playing time.

It’s the second time in three games that he’s sat in favor of Mitch Garver in the DH spot. Polanco starred for the Mariners initially this season, but he’s batting only .206/.280/.339 in 379 plate appearances since May 1.

It’s just a routine day off for Raleigh with a day game after a night game. Mitch Garver will start behind the plate and bat seventh.

Canzone will sit against southpaw Trevor Rogers. Dylan Moore is playing right field and hitting ninth. Cole Young also gets the day off with Jorge Polanco getting the start at second base and Mitch Garver the designated hitter.

Raleigh doesn’t get many days of rest, but after hitting his 39th homer of the season Tuesday, the 28-year-old will begin the finale against the Brew Crew on the bench. Mitch Garver will be behind the plate with Jorge Polanco lined up as the designated hitter.