It looked like the Mariners might give Nick Franklin an extended opportunity to earn playing time in their outfield following Logan Morrison’s hamstring injury, but one day after Franklin started in the outfield for the first time in his professional career he’s headed back to Triple-A.
Franklin went 2-for-13 in a six-game call-up to Seattle after hitting .395 in 11 games at Triple-A, and instead of letting him take a crack at a regular outfield gig the Mariners will have him continue to showcase himself for a potential trade as a middle infielder in the minors.
There was one play Wednesday in which Franklin clearly looked like a newbie in the outfield and perhaps that was a factor in the quick demotion, because Greg Johns of MLB.com reports that the Mariners will replace him on the roster with journeyman outfielder Cole Gillespie.
Franklin played 102 games for the Mariners last season as a 22-year-old rookie and before that consistently ranked as a top-100 prospect, but lost his starting job at second base when Seattle signed Robinson Cano.
