Following his team’s decision to cancel practice Saturday, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll addressed reporters on a Zoom call, delivering a passionate statement calling for social justice and racial equality.

Carroll spoke for nearly 15 minutes, discussing the pain and fear his players and other members of the Black community live with daily, and imploring white Americans to listen and learn, and white coaches to become leaders in the fight to end inequality.

With the Seahawks set to open their season in two weeks, and the Mariners already more than a month into their abbreviated schedule, manager Scott Servais said Saturday he has not yet had the chance to connect this year with the coach in the stadium across the street from his in Seattle.

But, he was able to listen to Carroll’s speech ahead of the Mariners’ game in Anaheim.

“As always, super, super impressed,” Servais said. “Pete’s been at this a long time. He’s always had of kind of the direction and the pulse of his locker room with this players.”

Servais has consistently discussed the importance of supporting and uplifting his players as they speak out and stand against racial inequality. When the Mariners unanimously decided to sit out their game Wednesday in San Diego in protest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., Servais also spoke with reporters about how proud he was of his players continuing to seek change.

“Sports are a privilege,” he said then. “We get the opportunity to play an awesome game, we get paid for it, these guys are the best in the world and they get to compete on this level every day. But, it’s a privilege. It’s a privilege of a functioning society, and our players made a decision (Wednesday) to take a step backwards and to back off the gas here to create some awareness about something that we need to change. We need change.

“Again, I commend our players for continuing doing the right thing. The discussions like we had (Wednesday) as a team were very meaningful. We continue to learn from each other, educate each other and that’s what this is all about.”

Servais also noted how important it was for him to further his own understanding about racial injustice following the death of George Floyd in May, when protests took place across the country.

He said one of the impactful podcasts he listened to in an effort to further educated himself was the podcast Carroll hosted with Golden State coach Steve Kerr, and specifically an episode that included Spurs coach Gregg Popovich as a guest.

“Three really intelligent guys who have a good feel for their teams, and not just for the teams and getting the most out of their players, but what’s going on in our country and what’s going on around their players,” Servais said. “Listening to a few of those podcasts, getting to know those guys a little bit, really helpful for me in my education. So listening to Pete today, I thought he did a great job, as always. Very sincere, coming from the heart.”

BULLPEN INJURIES

The Mariners now have eight relievers on the injured list. Matt Magill was the latest to be placed on the IL on Friday with a right shoulder strain.

He joins Austin Adams (knee), Gerson Bautista (elbow), Brandon Brennan (oblique), Nestor Cortes (elbow), Carl Edwards Jr. (forearm), Taylor Guilbeau (shoulder) and Erik Swanson (forearm) on the IL as Seattle’s bullpen continues to shift.

The Mariners, who also have starter Kendall Graveman on the IL, aren’t the only team dealing with a series of pitching injuries in this shortened season, either.

“I think a lot of it is the ramp up period,” Servais said. “We had basically two weeks of games in summer camp, but everybody was on a different program coming into summer camp. Some guys had the facilities and the workout space where they were throwing off a live mound, they had a real catcher. Other guys were throwing against a cement wall out on their driveway and trying to keep arm strength.

“What we’re seeing is the guys, it takes a lot to get up and going and even as you start throwing bullpens in summer camp. Now all of the sudden the competition starts, there’s a real batter with a different uniform on, and the intensity level rises and that’s where things start to happen. You want to push on the gas and really let it go. And maybe you’re not built up to make it happen. So, a number of injuries around the league.”

Servais said Adams and Brennan have started throwing bullpens again, and some young prospects like Joey Gerber and Aaron Fletcher have filled in well, but Servais noted the importance of proceeding with caution with all of Seattle’s pitchers in this odd year.

“We’ve still got to be careful on how much workload we’re putting on these guys,” he said. “It’s really, really important to try to keep everybody healthy here through the end of the year.”

VOGELBACH JOINS BLUE JAYS

Former Mariners designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach, who was designated for assignment earlier this month and later traded to Toronto, spoke to reporters on a video call Saturday for the first time since joining his new club.

He said he felt “a lot of mixed emotions” when he got the call he would be heading back east.

“I know a lot of guys over here. I grew up with Bo (Bichette), watching Bo play when he was younger, playing with his older brother Dante,” Vogelbach said. “So, it was cool for that. I worked out with Travis Shaw in the offseason. So, knowing guys made it a lot more comfortable coming over here and not totally coming into a new place.

“But, Seattle’s been home for me for the past five years and becoming close to a lot of those guys over there, teammates-wise, it was sad to leave there. But, I’m very, very excited for a fresh start, and looking forward to being part of a winning team.”

Vogelbach, 27, hit 5-for-53 (.094) to open the season for the Mariners with a double, two home runs and 11 walks to 13 strikeouts in 18 games.

In parts of five big league seasons with the club after he was acquired from the Cubs in the Jordan Pries and Mike Montgomery trade in 2016, he hit .196/.326/.397 in 223 games with 21 doubles, 36 homers, 95 RBI and 120 walks to 203 strikeouts.

SHORT HOPS

Rookie first baseman Evan White was held out of the starting lineup again Saturday as he deals with discomfort in his right shoulder. Servais said White is feeling better, and did participate in pregame work. His MRI was clear, Servais said. “All clean there, so hopefully he’ll be in good shape as he starts doing more activity today.” … Taijuan Walker tossed six scoreless innings in his first start with the Blue Jays since the Mariners traded him Toronto earlier in the week. Walker allowed four hits and three walks while striking out four.