The Mariners announced earlier this evening that they have activated Justin Smoak from the disabled list. He’ll serve as the designated hitter and bat fifth tonight against the Athletics.
Smoak has been sidelined since suffering a broken nose on a bad hop grounder while playing first base on August 12. He went 0-for-11 with three walks over four games during a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma, but the important part is that he is feeling 100 percent. According to Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times, the switch-hitter will have a plastic flap covering the left side of his face when he hits right-handed.
Smoak, 21, is batting just .220/.317/.387 with 12 home runs, 44 RBI and a .704 OPS over 410 plate appearances this season, including a .175 batting average and zero homers since the All-Star break.
It’s never fun to break your nose, but the silver lining is that Smoak was given some extra time to rest a thumb injury which was likely affecting his production at the plate. He now has an opportunity to finish the season on a high note.
