The Seattle Mariners placed former All-Star first baseman Ty France on outright waivers Sunday, according to multiple reports.
If he clears waivers, the Mariners will have the option to assign France to the minors. Because of his service time, France will have the option to refuse the assignment.
The Mariners made the move amid a slide in the AL West standings and a career-worst slump for France. France, 30, is slashing .224/.313/.351 through 87 games with eight home runs and 31 RBI. A career .264 hitter, France made an All-Star team with the Mariners in 2022 while slashing .274/.338/.436 with 20 home runs and 83 RBI. He’s in his sixth MLB season.
Rookie Tyler Locklear will take over at first base. A former second-round pick, he’s 6 for 30 with two home runs, three RBI and a stolen base in 11 MLB games this season.
Seattle made the move amid a larger offensive slump and heated race with the Houston Astros for the AL West crown. The Mariners are the worst-hitting team in baseball with a .218 batting average and rank 28th out of 30 teams in runs scored. Their 1,038 strikeouts are the most by far in baseball. The Oakland A’s have the second-most strikeouts with 967.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Mariners got off to a 44-31 start and led the AL West by as many as 10 games before the All-Star break. They went 8-14 in the final 22 games before the break, allowing the Astros back into the race.
Houston took control of the division by beating Seattle in two straight games since the return from the break. The Mariners won Game 3 of the series to fend of a sweep and tie the Astros atop the division on Sunday.
France started Sunday’s game on the bench, but replaced Julio Rodríguez in the lineup for a single at-bat after Rodríguez left the game late with a sprained ankle. X-rays on Rodríguez’s ankle were negative.
The Mariners reportedly waived France shortly after the conclusion of the game.