Mariners’ Ty France named Co-Player of Week in AL

SEATTLE — You know you’ve had a good six games at the plate when you can still share the American League Player of the Week honors with a future first-ballot Hall of Famer who recorded his 3,000th hit in the same span.

On Monday, Major League Baseball named Seattle’s Ty France and Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera as the American League Co-Players of the Week. Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers was named the NL Player of the Week.

Cabrera became the 33rd MLB player to tally 3,000 hits, with a single on Saturday at Comerica Park vs. the Rockies. He is the first Venezuelan-born player and seventh Latino player to accomplish the feat, joining Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente and Rod Carew, as well as Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Adrián Beltré and Albert Pujols.

France had a better overall week, as he carried the Mariners offense over their first homestand. In six games last week, he posted a .500/.522/.885 slash line that included 13 hits, seven runs scored, a double, three homers and 10 RBI. He had his first career five-hit day Saturday, going 5 for 6 with a homer and five RBI.

He is the fourth Mariners player to tally at least five hits and drive in five runs in a game, joining Raul Ibañez (2004), Tino Martinez (1995) and Mickey Brantley (1987).

France went 3 for 5 with a homer and two RBI in Sunday’s win. He had a stretch of seven consecutive at-bats with hits.

He ranks first in MLB in hits (24), third in batting average (.375), fourth in on-base percentage (.459), seventh in slugging (.656), second in RBI (19), tied for first with the Angels’ Mike Trout in FanGraphs’ weighted runs created (235) and third in wins above replacement (1.2).

MLB also announced that Rangers center fielder Adolis Garcia received the Electric Play of the Week Award, which is given to the player who makes the top defensive play of the week. That play came against the Mariners on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park. After Seattle squandered a late lead, Garcia preserved the win for Texas, making a brilliant diving stop on Julio Rodriguez’s deep blast to the left-center gap.

Torrens activated

The Mariners on Monday activated catcher Luis Torrens from the injured list and designated infielder Mike Ford for assignment.

Torrens, 25, was placed on the IL on April 19 after testing positive for COVID-19.

He hit .231 in four games this season after hitting .243 with 15 homers in 2021.

Ford, 29, was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma after Sunday’s game, then designated for assignment Monday. He hit .317 in 11 games with Tacoma this season.

TNS