Franklin Gutierrez’s ongoing stomach problems continue to stump the Mariners and various doctors he’s seen, so the Gold Glove center fielder is now headed to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Gutierrez, who’s been sidelined since mid-March and also struggled with the stomach issue for much of last season, began working out with the Mariners last week in the hopes of beginning a minor-league rehab assignment before the same digestive tract difficulty shut him down again.
In his absence the Mariners have turned to 31-year-old journeyman Ryan Langerhans as their primary center fielder, with 24-year-old Michael Saunders also seeing significant action there. Together they’ve combined to hit just .167 through 17 games.
