Fansided

Seattle Mariners suspend catcher Steve Clevenger for rest of the season

By Brad Berreman

May 28, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Steve Clevenger (32) reacts after striking out to end the fifth inning with two men on base against the Minnesota Twins at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
May 28, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Steve Clevenger (32) reacts after striking out to end the fifth inning with two men on base against the Minnesota Twins at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

After stirring controversy on Twitter, Steve Clevenger has been suspended for the rest of the season by the Seattle Mariners.

Seattle Mariners catcher Steve Clevenger was already sidelined with hand and elbow injuries, as the team tries to make a push for a playoff spot. Perhaps that idle time explains his Twitter rant about President Obama and Black Lives Matter on Thursday. The Mariners wasted no time in releasing a statement condemning the quickly-deleted tweets, and on Friday they took further action.

According to The Seattle Times, Clevenger has been suspended without pay for the remainder of the season. Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto added to that, via another statement.

"“As soon as we became aware of the tweets posted by Steve yesterday we began to examine all of our options in regard to his standing on the team,” manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. “Today we have informed him that he is suspended for the reminder of the season without pay.”"

Clevenger is in his first season with the Mariners, after an offseason trade that brought him from the Baltimore Orioles. Going the other direction in that deal was a minor league pitcher and outfielder Mark Trumbo, who is leading the majors in home runs this season with 43 right now. So it’s safe to say Seattle already regrets that trade, with only Clevenger’s on-field exploits this season (.221, one home run and seven RBi in 68 at-bats) as a reference point. With the added element of a social media brain-fart, suspending Clevenger without pay is well in bounds for the Mariners.

Related Story: MLB Playoffs 2016: 3 reasons the Astros make it

The Mariners are 80-72 and two games out of the final American League Wild Card spot entering Friday’s action, with seven of their 10 remaining games against two clear non-contenders (Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics). Clevenger wasn’t going to contribute, but removing any semblance of a distraction can only help Seattle’s playoff cause.

Home/Seattle Mariners