31 Donovan Walton SS

The Mariners optioned Walton to their taxi squad Wednesday.

Walton will cede his spot on the 28-man active roster to J.P. Crawford (personal), who was reinstated from the bereavement list after missing the previous five games. Though he won't be available to play in Wednesday's game against the Giants, he'll remain on standby with the Mariners in San Francisco in case the team loses a player to the injured list. Walton started in three games while Crawford was away from the team, going 2-for-10 at the dish.

Walton went 1-for-4 with a double and three RBI in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Diamondbacks.

Walton gave Seattle a 2-1 lead with an RBI groundout in the second and later drove in two more with a double in the sixth. It marked his first hit on the season. It's unclear if Walton will stick with the big club when J.P. Crawford returns from the bereavement list.

Walton was recalled from the alternate training site Friday.

The 26-year-old spent one day on the active roster earlier this season and went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. Walton will provide depth at shortstop with J.P. Crawford on the bereavement list.

Walton was optioned to the Mariners' alternate training site Tuesday.

Walton's stint on the active roster lasted just a single day. He went hitless with a pair of strikeouts and a walk Monday against the Angels. Ty France, who was acquired in a trade from the Padres on Sunday, was added to the roster in a corresponding move.

Walton was recalled by the Mariners on Monday.

Walton appeared in seven games for Seattle in his debut season last year, going 3-for-16 at the plate. He's yet to spend any time at the Triple-A level but did hit a solid .300/.390/.427 for Double-A Arkansas last season. He'll likely be a utility infielder for the Mariners down the stretch.

Walton is part of the Mariners' four-man taxi squad on the team's current eight-game road trip, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports. "It's an opportunity for Donnie," manager Scott Servais said. "He was with us last September for a little bit and showed very, very well in the summer camp. I thought he was probably our most improved player, some of the things he's done to his swing."

Walton was impressive at Double-A Arkansas last season with a .300/.390/.427 line that included 36 extra-base hits (22 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs) and 50 RBI over 124 games, and he ultimately logged his first seven games at the big-league level in September. A fifth-round pick in the 2016 first-year player draft, Walton is capable of filling in at both second base and shortstop. He has been working at the alternate training site in Tacoma and could potentially make his 2020 big-league debut in coming days if any injury strikes the active roster.

Walton was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Friday, Lauren Smith of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Walton made his major-league debut in September and went 3-for-16 in seven games, but he was unable to secure a spot on the big-league roster before spring training was suspended. The 25-year-old spent most of 2019 in Tacoma and had a .300/.390/.427 slash line over 124 games.

Walton went 1-for-6 with a walk and three strikeouts over his first two major-league starts Wednesday and Thursday versus the Reds.

The 25-year-old has gotten the call at shorstop over that pair of games, although J.P. Crawford's expected return from a hamstring injury projects to displace Walton at minimum and possibly send him to the bench. The rookie is getting his first taste of big-league pitching after a stellar season at Double-A Arkansas, in which he slashed .300/.390/.427 across 558 plate appearances. Even if he does ride the pine Friday, the non-contending Mariners figure to give him opportunities for more reps against big-league arms the rest of the way.

Walton had his contract selected from Double-A Arkansas on Tuesday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Walton pieced together a .300/.390/.427 slash line with 11 homers and 50 RBI over 124 games this year with the Travelers, earning him a chance to finish out the 2019 campaign in the majors, where he'll likely serve as bench depth.

Walton is a likely candidate to receive a promotion to the majors now that Double-A Arkansas' season has ended, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

Walton will need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason anyhow in order to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, so Johns speculates the Mariners are likely to get that procedural move out of the way by promoting the shortstop. Walton thrived with the Travelers this season, slashing .300/.390/.427 with 36 extra-base hits (22 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs), 50 RBI, 63 walks, 10 stolen bases and 72 runs over 558 plate appearances.