Just because the Seattle Mariners dodged major damage with regards to J.P. Crawfords hand/wrist, it doesn’t mean that Crawford is instantly coming back from the injured list.

The M’s shortstop had been rehabbing an oblique injury at Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday and was likely set to be activated before Friday’s game, but now the team is unsure of when he’ll be back.

Per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, Crawford didn’t even travel to Baltimore with the team.

JP Crawford didn’t fly to Baltimore today. His hand is still sore and a little swollen after getting hit by a pitch. The Mariners aren’t certain when he will join the team

That’s an unfortunate development for the M’s, as they’d really like to be at full strength heading into this grueling 10-day road trip that will see them take on the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Washington Nationals. In addition to Crawford not being ready, the team is also dealing with injury issues to Jorge Polanco (hamstring) and Mitch Garver (back spasms).

Furthermore, no Crawford means that Dylan Moore needs to continue to play shortstop, when he likely is best served playing in a utility role.

Crawford was out to a slow start this season, hitting just .198 with two home runs through his first 86 at-bats, but he is a catalyst of the M’s lineup and a leader defensively that they certainly need back.

In his eighth year in the big leagues, Crawford is a career .250 hitter who really had a nice year in 2023. He hit .266, popped a career-high 19 homers and led the American League in walks with 94. He was acquired by Seattle before the 2019 season in a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Mariners play the Orioles on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET.