Mariners DFA Dylan Moore to reinstate Victor Robles before suspension

Ryan Divish, The Seattle Times on Aug 23, 2025

Published in Baseball

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SEATTLE — The Mariners made a major roster move that will impact how they play over the next few weeks.

On Saturday afternoon, Seattle reinstated outfielder Victor Robles from the 60-day injured list. To make room for Robles on the active 26-man roster and full 40-man roster, longtime utility player Dylan Moore was designated for assignment.

While Robles’ return from a separated shoulder was looming, the timing of it was tossed into doubt when he was recently suspended for 10 games by Major League Baseball for throwing his bat at a pitcher during a game on Aug. 17 while on rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma.

The suspension was scheduled to begin whenever the Mariners activated Robles from the injured list. However, since Robles has filed an official appeal, the suspension is in abeyance, meaning he can still play until a hearing and subsequent ruling is made.

When Robles does start serving his suspension, the Mariners won’t be able to fill his spot on their 26-man roster, leaving them with a short bench.

With lefty Jeffrey Springs slotted to start for the A’s on Saturday, Robles was immediately inserted into the starting lineup as the right fielder. With another lefty scheduled to start on Sunday for the A’s, Robles’ return was needed for a roster heavy on lefty hitters and underperforming right-handed bench hitters, including Moore, whose struggles had become an unavoidable issue.

The longest-tenured player on the Mariners roster, Moore struggled since a hot start in April. He was hitting just .198 with a .268 on-base percentage and .359 slugging percentage while seeing less and less playing time. Moore had just three hits — a single, a double, a homer — in his last 74 plate appearances with seven walks and 38 strikeouts.

“I hate that he’s the corresponding move,” general manager Justin Hollander said. “I want to take one more opportunity to praise his role in our success over the years. He had a very hard job and did it as well as anyone for a long time.”

Moore signed an MLB contract as a free agent before the 2019 season despite never playing in the big leagues. The Mariners loved his versatility and athleticism.

He appeared in 671 games with the Mariners, playing every position but catcher. He batted .205 (333-for-1,626) with 82 doubles, 11 triples, 61 home runs, 192 RBI and 116 stolen bases while amassing 7.1 Wins Above Replacement (via Baseball-Reference). He won the American League Gold Glove Award at the utility position in 2024, the first Mariners winner for that spot.

Moore is in the final year of a three-year, $8,875,000 contract extension that he signed before the 2023 season. He will be placed on waivers and any claiming team would have to pay what’s remaining on his $3.9 million salary for the season. If he clears waivers, he will decline an outright assignment to the minor leagues and become a free agent. Any team can sign him to the prorated MLB minimum with the Mariners paying the difference remaining on his salary.

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