Six games. Six hits. Three extra-base hits. And somehow, every one of those extra-base hits arrived in the eighth inning. Brock Rodden wasn't a prospect with a ton of hype behind him when he reached Seattle. He was promoted because Colt Emerson wasn't working out and J.P. Crawford was already on the IL. Rodden had been great in Triple-A Tacoma, but ultimately he was supposed to cover a hole. Instead, he has been a spark plug for the Mariners.
Through his first six MLB games, he hit .300. Four of those hits came with two outs, and he went 2-for-6 with three RBI with runners in scoring position.
His first hit in the majors was an eighth-inning, game-tying double in Houston against the Astros . Apparently he became the first player in franchise history to record a game-tying or go-ahead extra-base hit in the eighth inning or later of his MLB debut.
Six games don't establish a player's career, but roster decisions aren't lifetime commitments. The Mariners only need to decide which reserve infielder gives them more right now. That choice should come down to Rodden and Leo Rivas once Crawford returns.
Crawford will likely reclaim the majority of his playing time at shortstop while sprinkling in some third base. Young will still have second base locked down, but Rodden can spell him if needed. That means Rodden would receive fewer starts in Seattle than he would in Tacoma. We can acknowledge that without deciding it would be better for him to head back to Triple-A.
The guy is 26. He has already played 92 games in Tacoma this season. He hit 19 home runs, drove in 65 runs and posted an .841 OPS there. He's not really a raw prospect who needs to play every day to learn how professional baseball works. His projected major-league role has always been that of a versatile bench player, so there's value in letting him begin learning that role against major-league competition.
The comparison with Rivas makes the decision clearer. Rivas entered Wednesday batting .130 with a .425 OPS in 108 at-bats for Seattle. He offers speed, defensive flexibility and familiarity, but the offensive ceiling has been painfully low. Rodden has already displayed more impact in five games than Rivas has for most of the season.
Rodden also gives manager Dan Wilson more ways to find him playing time. He's made appearances at third, shortstop, second, and several times in the outfield in for Tacoma. He can start around the diamond, pinch-hit and provide late-game coverage without being tied to one position.
If the Mariners believe Rivas is substantially more trustworthy as a backup shortstop, that's the only argument for keeping him. Otherwise, Rodden offers more power, more offensive upside and at least as much lineup flexibility.
In short, the Mariners should keep Rodden up. Move him around and see whether the production survives a larger sample. He has earned that opportunity.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/mariners/onsi as Brock Rodden Is Giving the Mariners Every Reason to Keep Him in the Majors .
