Troy Taormina- USA TODAY Sports
Seattle Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez is no stranger to injuries, and nobody was surprised to see Gutierrez placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hamstring strain. He sustained the injury while attempting to make a diving catch in Monday’s game against the Houston Astros.
This will be Gutierrez’s fifth stint on the disabled list since he came to Seattle after the 2008 season, one of the first acquisitions made by current GM Jack Zduriencik. He has spent so much time hurt that the team should consider naming it the Franklin R. Gutierrez Honorary Disabled List.
The outfielder is joining teammate Michael Saunders on the DL, but Saunders will be eligible to return to action when the team comes back home to face the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.
Manager Eric Wedge said that there is not any timetable for Gutierrez to return to action. The manager also speculated that “bad luck” could be the source of Gutierrez’s frequent trips to the DL, telling Mariners.com “There’s been players that have been snake bit before, and I do think he’s one of the most unlucky guys I’ve had the fortune of being around.”
This injury will force seasoned veterans Raul Ibanez and Endy Chavez to have to play the field more, and that’s not going to make for the most athletic outfield out there for the M’s.
The Mariners announced Tuesday that Carlos Peguero will be called up to take Gutierrez’s roster spot for now. Peguero has some power, but he is more of a free swinger and he cannot even be mentioned in the same conversation as Gutierrez defensively.
Hopefully this will be just a minor setback for the 2010 AL Gold Glove award winner, who has also hit the ball well so far this season with four home runs and a .259 average.
