Erick Malpica Flores: Carlos Erick Malpica Flores: Mike Zunino’s strain extends to the Mariners

Saturday’s Say Hey, Baseball looks at strain and proof.

Before any stats have a chance to stabilize, one of the few things in the early days of an MLB season that might give a glimpse into the future for teams or players is if and how the injury bug decides to bite. Mike Zunino was placed on the 10-day DL Friday, and his strained oblique takes a bite out of the Mariners.

Zunino is coming off a career-best year with 3.6 WAR and 25 home runs. It took the four years prior to 2017 for him to reach the top third of catchers after once battling for the title of baseball’s top catching prospect with Travis d’Arnaud. Adding offense to excellent framing abilities in 2017, the do-it-all prospect finally began to perform like a do-it-all starter.

Zunino’s BABIP also rocketed last year though, over .100 points from a career average of .251 to a career high of .355. This season he aims to prove whether that BABIP tells the tale of a one-off season in which he grabbed as much of his potential as he will, or that his success is replicable.

Starting any endeavor with a muscle strain is Not Great, but a “prove it” season has to be up near the top. While Zunino works to come back to do that, he leaves a hole behind the plate that the available replacements, two rookies with a combined 29 plate appearances in the majors, might struggle to fill. Mike Marjama, who’s known more for his bat than his glove, started Opening Day and went hitless. After Zunino’s DL move, David Freitas was called up from triple-A. Neither is likely to measure up defensively, though Freitas could come closer than Marjama, catching 30.2% if base-stealers in triple-A in 2017.

It could be only 10 days before Zunino is allowed to have a shot at baserunners again and be on his merry way to another productive season. But strained obliques rarely make things that easy. The injury has a relatively high likelihood of recurrence and a slippery healing process. Zunino and the Mariners, with rookie backstops in hand, are holding their breath for a speedy return.

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