Mariners need for offense reaches new levels of urgency following JP Crawford injury update

Seattle Mariners shortstop JP Crawford was recently hit on the hand by a pitch that ultimately caused a hairline fracture on his finger. On Wednesday, he was placed on the 10-day Injured List. The Mariners got another update on their star shortstop on Wednesday that revealed the timeline for his return, and unfortunately, it's not promising.

According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, Crawford is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks. The 29-year-old is hitting .204 with nine home runs, 32 RBI and a .646 OPS in 294 at-bats. Now, the Mariners will look to replace Crawford for the time being as he recovers from his injury.

JP Crawford out 4-6 weeks with finger fracture

This is not good news for the Mariners, who are trying to stay at the top of a weak American League West division. Crawford obviously hasn't had the best season, but he is still an integral piece of the puzzle, and now the Mariners are left trying to find a temporary replacement for the veteran shortstop.

For now, they could go with Dylan Moore, but Seattle may need to upgrade at that position and acquire somebody who can play the shortstop position before the trade deadline passes next Tuesday.

Heading into Wednesday, the Mariners were tied with the red-hot Houston Astros atop the AL West with a record of 53-50. By virtue of winning percentage, Houston currently has the top spot. Seattle also has to deal with a resurgent Texas Rangers squad, which has won three consecutive games and moved to within three games of first place in the division. The Mariners' lead over the defending World Series champions is also just three games.

So, in order to boost offensive production, they may need to dive into the trade market to find a solution while they wait for Crawford to come back. The latest update certainly isn't promising, as Crawford is going to miss some significant time.

It will be interesting to see how they approach the deadline in a few days and if they ultimately will feel the need to replace Crawford's production with an external addition.