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Justin Smoak Injury: Seattle Mariners First Baseman Hurts Thumb, Day-To-Day

Several beat writers reported after last night's Seattle Mariners game that Justin Smoak would likely miss Wednesday's game and then be listed as day-to-day after that due to a thumb injury.

By Josie Becker
SEATTLE - JULY 17: Justin Smoak #17 of the Seattle Mariners flies out to left for the final out in a 3-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field on July 17, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE - JULY 17: Justin Smoak #17 of the Seattle Mariners flies out to left for the final out in a 3-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field on July 17, 2011 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Several beat writers reported after last night's Seattle Mariners game that Justin Smoak would likely miss Wednesday's game and then be listed as day-to-day after that due to a thumb injury. Smoak was pulled in the 8th inning of Tuesday's game against the Oakland A's. He bruised his left thumb on a hard ground ball that jumped and hit him in the chest. X-rays came back negative, so this is likely a precautionary measure. Ryan Divish reported that it's likely he will miss a few games as he recovers.

The Mariners held on to win, 4-2. Smoak was pulled in the bottom of the ninth for pinch hitter Kyle Seager, who then stayed in the game at third base. Adam Kennedy moved from third base to first. Smoak was 0-1 on the night, with a walk. The 24 year old switch hitter is .221/.313/.379 on the year.

This may not be a new problem for Justin Smoak, but an aggravated one. Lookout Landing noticed the severe drop in Smoak's production (from an April OPS of .920 to a July OPS of .402) and the correlation with a sore thumb. There have been reports of Smoak using extra tape on that thumb due to blisters.

Whether or not the thumb is related to the slump, it's likely the time off will do Justin Smoak some good. The Mariners have a day game with Oakland tomorrow. Since breaking their seventeen game losing streak, the Mariners are 4-2.