Mariners' Harry Ford: Joining Seattle as insurance
Rotowire
Ford will join the Mariners in Arlington, Texas, on Friday, though it's not certain that he'll be officially called up to the big-league roster, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Ford could end up simply spending some time on the taxi squad rather than getting his first big-league call-up, but he may be needed on the Mariners roster if Mitch Garver, who exited Thursday's game against Minnesota after being hit in the jaw by a foul ball, needs to go on the IL. Ford is one of baseball's top catching prospects and has shined with Triple-A Tacoma this season, posting a .311/.426/.469 slash line with eight homers, 43 RBI and three stolen bases over 60 games. If he does get officially promoted, Ford would probably log just a few starts per week, primarily on days when Cal Raleigh is given a break from catching duties.
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Mariners' Harry Ford: Raking for Rainiers
Rotowire
Ford is slashing .313/.427/.490 with eight home runs, three steals and a 17.2 percent strikeout rate in 50 games for Triple-A Tacoma.
The 5-foot-10 catcher has only attempted five steals after swiping 35 bases in 116 games at Double-A a year ago, but otherwise he's having his best season to date. If the Mariners want to be buyers at the deadline, Ford could be on the move, but as things stand he's blocked by Cal Raleigh in Seattle and is not yet on the 40-man roster.
Mariners' Harry Ford: Returns to action with Arkansas
Rotowire
Ford (concussion) took a full game's worth of plate appearances as the designated hitter in Double-A Arkansas' win over Midland on Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a run.
Ford was returning to action from the 7-day IL after being placed in concussion protocol due to taking a ball off his facemask July 25. The promising prospect should be able to resume catching duties at any point and sports a .247 average and .740 OPS across his first 83 games at the Double-A level this season.
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Mariners' Harry Ford: Recovering well from concussion
Rotowire
Ford is feeling "100 percent" following his concussion and will begin going through protocols to return to action with Double-A Arkansas, MLB.com reports.
Ford took a foul ball off his facemask July 25 and was diagnosed with a concussion the following day. If his recovery continues without setbacks, Ford could conceivably be deemed ready to suit back up for the Travelers in a matter of days.
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Mariners' Harry Ford: Suffers concussion
Rotowire
Ford was placed on Double-A Arkansas' 7-day injured list Saturday due to concussion symptoms, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
The 21-year-old suffered the injury during Thursday's contest when he took a ball off the mask while working behind the plate. Ford, who is one of the Mariners' top prospects, will need to clear the concussion protocol before returning to action.
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Mariners' Harry Ford: Up to 15 steals at Double-A
Rotowire
Ford is slashing .250/.381/.402 with five home runs, 15 stolen bases and a 20.6 percent strikeout rate in 54 games for Double-A Arkansas.
Ford's numbers were a bit better across the board last year while he was playing in a hitter-friendly home park with High-A Everett, but he is now playing in Arkansas' pitcher-friendly home park. His 15 steals are tied with Blake Mitchell for the lead among all catching prospects, while his 21.9 percent hard-hit rate is a below-average mark. Ford's ultimate power output is to be determined, but his speed and command of the strike zone should allow for him to be an above-average fantasy catcher during his prime years.
Ford has produced a .246 average and .824 OPS across 222 plate appearances over 46 games with High-A Everett this season.
The standout catching prospect hasn't quite performed to the same caliber as during his stints at the Rookie and Single-A levels, but his numbers aren't far behind. Ford has generated 13 extra-base hits, 26 RBI, seven stolen bases, 38 runs and an impressive 47 walks for the AquaSox, with the latter figure playing a sizable role in his elite .429 OBP. Ford has also impressively whittled his strikeout rate down to 18 percent despite the bump up in competition, and while he almost certainly remains multiple seasons away from the big-league level, he's adapted quickly to each move up the organizational ladder thus far.
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