The Seattle Mariners have recalled first baseman Justin Smoak from the minors following a hip injury to Mike Carp, the Seattle Times' Geoff Baker reports.
The 25-year-old Smoak had struggled with Triple-A Tacoma, where he is hitting just .242. Baker points out that if it weren't for a hot past 10 days, that batting average would've been closer to .200, but Baker adds that Smoak's recall is more of a necessity rather than any indication that the team thinks he's ready to contribute in the majors.
"But the fact is, on the position player side especially, there just are not enough potential impact guys [on the Mariners] who are ready to be broken in to the majors yet," Baker writes. "And that's why, when it comes to upgrading the squad to the point where it can contend for something, the Mariners will either have to bring in players from outside the organization, or be willing to wait another two, three or four years."
Smoak currently has a .189 batting average this season with 13 home runs and 38 RBI. He holds a .215 average over his three-year major league career.
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