Seattle Mariners vs Oakland Athletics Picks and Predictions April 21st 2026

Mariners call up Will Wilson to face Athletics, not Cole Emerson

Seattle Mariners fans hoping for the beginning of the Cole Emerson era will have to wait.

With third baseman Brendan Donovan placed on the injured list Monday with a left groin strain, many in Seattle hoped it would be Emerson who got the call when the Mariners opened a three-game series at home against the Athletics.

But with the 20-year-old dealing with a sore wrist at Triple-A Tacoma, infielder Will Wilson instead got promoted from the Rainiers.

“It just didn’t feel like this was the right time for that,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said of promoting Emerson.

Dan Wilson said Donovan’s injury likely is related to the sports hernia on which the veteran had offseason surgery.

“This is just something that we’re going to take as cautiously as we can,” the manager said. “It’s early and we want to give him the best chance to get back and be 100%.”

Will Wilson, Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2019, could make his Mariners debut Tuesday when they go against A’s left-hander Jacob Lopez. Will Wilson appeared in 34 games with the Guardians last year, hitting .192 in 78 at-bats while playing second and third base.

The A’s rallied from an early three-run deficit Monday for a 6-4 victory, getting solo homers from Carlos Cortes, Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers to tie the score. Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the eighth plated the go-ahead run and Lawrence Butler followed with a two-run single, moving the A’s a half-game ahead of idle Texas for first place in the American League West.

“This is a good team and we have to play good baseball to be in games with them,” Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said of playing the Mariners, the defending division champions who took Toronto to Game 7 in the American League Championship Series last fall. “This series last year was a battle and tonight was the start of another grind against this team this year.”

The Mariners got solo homers from Cal Raleigh and Dominic Canzone in the first two innings but allowed six unanswered runs before getting one back in the ninth.

“I thought we came out of the gate really strong,” Dan Wilson said. “After that, we were able to get some traffic, just not able to get them in until a couple more hits in the ninth. That’s tough when you’re not able to add on.

“… We’re giving ourselves a chance, just not able to convert. The at-bats have been better, just not able to turn those into runs tonight.”

Lopez (1-1, 6.38 ERA) will be making his fifth start of the season. He took a no-decision in a 9-6 loss to visiting Texas on Thursday despite giving up just two runs on three hits over five innings. Lopez is 0-1 with a 40.50 ERA in one previous start against Seattle.

The Mariners are set to counter with right-hander Luis Castillo (0-1, 5.40). Castillo took a 5-2 loss Thursday at San Diego despite giving up just one earned run – four overall – on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. Castillo is 4-3 with a 3.02 ERA in nine career starts versus the A’s.

-Field Level Media