Colt Emerson was driving up the motorway to Seattle on Sunday when his phone call home turned into the moment every young ballplayer imagines, as the Mariners told the 20-year-old top prospect he was being called from Triple-A to make his MLB debut at T-Mobile Park amid an injury crisis. The decision to promote Colt Emerson, who signed a $95 million, eight-year deal in April, came as the club moved All-Star utility man Brendan Donovan to the 10-day injured list, clearing space on the roster for the highly rated infielder.
Emerson had been pencilled in for Triple-A Tacoma's home game against Sugar Land before everything changed. The Mariners' top minor leaguer and ESPN's No. 6 overall prospect was scratched from the Rainiers' line-up shortly before first pitch and told to head north, where Seattle were preparing to face the San Diego Padres. By the end of the day, the club had an 8–3 defeat on the board, but also a new, very young debutant in the books.
