It will be a little while still before the playing surface at Safeco Field looks like it’s ready for James Paxton to take the hill or for Mitch Haniger to roam the outfield. But it’s getting closer.
Earlier this week, the Mariners grounds crew took a big step forward in the process of replacing the entire playing surface. They installed home plate and the anchors for each of the bases and began building back up the pitcher’s mound and framing in the base lines. New root zone mix for the infield turf is being applied, and the infield dirt has arrived.