Josh Naylor was not included in the Seattle Mariners’ starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals due to minor quad tightness, according to manager Dan Wilson on April 14. Wilson said that Naylor remains available off the bench if needed.
The decision to rest Naylor comes during a strong stretch for the first baseman, who has been one of the team’s most productive hitters recently. Over his last seven games, he has posted a .480 batting average with two doubles, four runs batted in, four stolen bases and four walks, resulting in a 1.213 on-base plus slugging percentage.
Wilson said: “He’s fine, just a little quad tightness from yesterday. Good day to kind of give him a blow. And we wanted to get [Connor Joe] some at-bats, too. So it’s a good day to get him in there.”
Naylor’s recent performances have included game-winning hits earlier this week against the Athletics and again Friday against the Cardinals. He also went 2-for-5 with two stolen bases during Saturday’s win over St. Louis.
Since joining Seattle on July 25, 2025, Naylor is perfect in stolen base attempts at 23-for-23 and has brought an aggressive approach on the basepaths that has influenced the team’s style of play.
While he is being given time to recover as a precautionary measure, Wilson indicated that having Naylor available as an option off the bench could be significant if needed later in Sunday’s matchup.
