Seattle Mariners star Ty France has been out of action since June 23.
He has been recovering from a Grade 2 flexor strain in his left elbow, a bothersome injury that doesn’t affect hitting too much if the pain is tolerable.
Ideally, the Mariners would give France some more time to fully heal it, but they need their best hitter in some capacity as soon as possible.
As a result, his return date has been somewhat accelerated… to Thursday night.
“Jerry Dipoto just told me that we should see Ty France back tonight,” Mariners radio host Mike Salk tweeted.
Jerry Dipoto just told me that we should see Ty France back tonight.
— Mike Salk, Seattle Sports Station (@TheMikeSalk) July 7, 2022
The Mariners have been streaking as of late and have gained some ground in the standings recently.
The Mariners Are Surging
They are 41-42, very close to .500 ball after weeks of mediocre play.
They have won four straight games and seven of their last 10 games.
They are still 13 games away from the AL West leaders, the Houston Astros, but in reality, they have solid chances of making the postseason if they continue to play like a playoff-caliber team.
This year, six teams per league will make it into October, increasing the M’s chances to break their long drought.
They haven’t made the playoffs since 2001, and with the help of a (relatively) healthy France and an incredible Julio Rodriguez they have a good chance.
France is hitting .316/.390/.476 with 10 home runs and a solid .866 OPS so far in 2022.
He is having a true breakout performance for a team that really needs offensive players to stand out.
It won’t be easy for the Mariners to qualify with so many quality teams in the American League, but they will give it a shot, and France will likely be a big part of their efforts.
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