Healy picks Travs, goes deep in rehab

When given a choice of rehab assignments, Ryon Healy opted to return to familiar surroundings.

The Arkansas Travelers are delighted he did.

Healy, who occupied the designated hitter spot in the lineup, slammed a towering three-run home run to help the Travs post a 10-7 victory over the Springfield Cardinals in front of 7,075 at Dickey-Stephens Park on Friday night in North Little Rock.

Healy, who started the season playing third base for the Seattle Mariners, is making a return appearance to the Texas League where he was an all-star for the Midland Rockhounds in 2015. Healy had the option of completing his rehab in Little Rock or for the Class AAA Tacoma Rainers of the Pacific Coast League.

"For me, the Texas League is comfortable," said Healy, who hit .302, clubbed 10 home runs and had 62 RBI in 2015 for the Rockhounds. "It was also close to where [the Mariners] are right now [playing against the Texas Rangers]. It's an opportunity to join them when I'm done here, so it was a win-win.

"I wanted to come here. There's a good group of guys here."

Healy was placed on the 10-day disabled list after suffering a sprained right ankle April 7. He singled in a run in the first to go along with his 369-foot blast off Springfield reliever Andrew Morales over the wall in right field during the seventh inning that increased the Travs' lead to 10-6.

"The ankle feels really good, feels strong," said Healy, who did not have any home runs at Dickey-Stephens during his time with the Rockhounds. "That was a really good start for me, and hopefully I'll build off that."

Healy started 2016 with Midland, but after belting eight home runs in his first 34 games that season, he was sent to Class AAA Nashville. With Oakland in 2017, Healy batted .271 with 25 home runs, 29 doubles and 78 RBI.

In November, Oakland traded Healy to the Mariners for pitcher Emilio Pagan and outfielder Alexander Campos.

Healy, 26, began this season in a 1-for-21 slump, but he hit a three-run double in the eighth inning of the Mariners' 11-4 victory at Minnesota on April 7. Healy's celebration, however, was cut short when he suffered a Grade 2 sprain to his right ankle in a postgame workout.

The Travelers collected 11 hits off of five Springfield pitchers. Ninth-place batter Yonathan Mendoza drove in two runs for the Travs with a second-inning double and a fifth-inning sacrifice fly. Lead-off batter Beau Amaral also had two hits and a sacrifice fly.

Left-hander Matt Tenuta (1-0), the second of four Arkansas pitchers, picked up the victory. Art Warren threw 1⅔ innings of hitless relief to earn his second save of the season.

Clean-up batter Andrew Knizner banged out three singles and drove in three runs for the Cardinals, but he struck out with the bases loaded in the eighth. Springfield collected 12 hits, but the Cardinals struck out 10 times.

Ramon Santos (0-1), the third Springfield pitcher, was handed the loss, giving up 4 runs -- 3 earned -- on 3 hits and 4 walks.

Sports on 04/21/2018