THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: If healthy, the Mariners can contend — no joke

Who’s on third?

If you don’t mind my changing positions in Abbott and Costello’s legendary “Who’s on first?” act, well, we might have our motto for the 2024 Mariners.

Of course, the motto for EVERY year is more like who’s healthy enough to play — and that one will be mega-important for this team.

The M’s open a potentially exciting season tonight against Boston at T-Mobile Park.

Right away, three pitchers are hurting: No. 5 starter Bryan Woo, and high leverage relievers Matt Brash and Gregory Santos.

The word from the club’s M*A*S*H tent is that none of the three are seriously hurt, although just hearing the words “shoulder inflammation” generally puts a team of surgeons on call.

The Mariners insist that MRIs on all three pitchers show no structural damage, but an awful lot of those tests later turn into something worse.

Woo can be replaced, at least in theory, by young Emerson Hancock, who made a nice impression with a three-game stint as rookie last year (before he tweaked something and was led away, as well).

Yes, I’m drilling down on health here, because if these Mariners can stay reasonably fit, they’re a playoff team and maybe more.

IF WE see five or six guys on the injury list from month to month, it could be a frustrating season – unless some

genuinely hot prospects can make surprising leaps to the major leagues.

Sure, every team has injuries, including AL West foes Texas and Houston.

The Mariners, though, have made a clear-eyed gamble by acquiring several solid veterans for everyday production.

The most critical of those newcomers – right fielder Mitch Haniger (welcome home!), DH Mitch Garver and second baseman Jorge Polanco all can hit and they fill out a fairly formidable lineup.

Unfortunately, all three have been consistently injured at various times.

The Mariners are hoping this group — added to current stars Julio Rodriguez, J.P. Crawford, Cal Raleigh, Ty France with his retooled swing and perhaps Dom Canzone — can deliver playoff-level results until the wave of young hitters in the club’s pipeline can make their way upward.

Somebody could come to the rescue from the minors fairly soon, in fact, if there are significant injuries.

Also, I wasn’t totally joking with that “Who’s on Third?” comedy sketch.

As they open the season tonight, the M’s likely are planning to platoon Josh Rojas and Luis Urias at third — neither of whom are bashers or, more critically, slick defenders.

It might not be long before the Mariner decision-makers wish that they hadn’t been so quick to discard Eugenio Suarez and his steady glove.

If help is needed because baseballs are bounding and trickling into unpleasant spots in the vicinity of third base, rookie Ryan Bliss (a solid infielder at various positions) might wind up trying his hand at third.

If more desperate measures are required, lower minor leaguer Ben Williamson — a legit prospect who is probably not ready to hit much, but is considered a plus-plus defender at third — could be rushed into the fray.

Otherwise?

Dylan Moore?

Kyle Seager comes out of retirement?

They’ll think of something.

IF THE lineup can score in decent chunks (and especially in those close games that killed the Mariners last year), this almost certainly will be a very good team.

There is just SO much quality pitching.

We talked about the current injuries earlier, and sure, it would be very helpful to have Brash and/or Santos available to ease the burden of getting from the starters to closer Andres Munoz.

The Mariners have shown an amazing ability to turn guys off the street into lights-out relievers, and now they have to do it again – especially early in the season when the starters have tighter pitch limits.

But there remains a rock-solid truth.

Besides that smiling panther roaming around in center field’s “No-Fly Zone,” the rotation will be Seattle’s calling card.

Luis Castillo opens against the Sox, with the stated goal of winning the Cy Young Award.

OK, then.

Funny enough, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert could have the same target, and Bryce Miller owns knockout stuff.

So do Woo and Hancock, for that matter, and in the walled-off world of baseball experts who follow EVERY inning in every league, there is word that big (and so far unknown) Logan Evans could be the next glittering star in the Mariner galaxy.

He throws all wicked strikes, and velocity is up from 93-94 to 99, so perhaps you should remember Logan Evans –no matter where he beds down to start the season.

Bottom line: It would be a shock if pitching is the Mariners’ problem.

Assuming the guys are healthy.

Yep, ALWAYS assuming that.

Now, let’s play ball!

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”