Mariners dealing with injuries as Cactus League gets underway

The Seattle Mariners have shut down relievers Matt Brash and Gregory Santos, although neither injury is considered serious as things stand.

Baseball is officially back, as the Seattle Mariners begin Cactus League play on Saturday afternoon versus the Chicago White Sox. However, it’s what’s going on off the field right now, which is arguably of more importance.

As initially reported by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, the Mariners have shut down Matt Brash. He has not pitched since his second bullpen session of spring training this past Tuesday.

The official line is that the injury is nothing serious, with Brash telling Divish he just feels a little banged up and out of sorts. The current stance is that he will resume throwing at some point next week, although it is entirely understandable if Mariners fans are at least a little concerned.

Vital to the bullpen

The 25-year-old can at times induce feelings of panic for fans when he’s on the mound, as evidenced by his career 1.426 WHIP in the Majors. However, the reality remains that he’s one of the very best arms in the Mariners bullpen.

Along these lines, Brash led all Major League receivers with 78 appearances last season, producing a 3.06 ERA and 2.26 FIP in 70.2 combined innings. His slider is arguably the top pitch on the Mariners staff, contributing to 71 of his impressive 107 strikeouts during the 2023 campaign.

Another reliever also currently on the sidelines, is the recently acquired Gregory Santos. As per Divish, he was similarly shut down after feeling discomfort in his teres major muscle, which runs lateral to the scapula in the back of his shoulder.

As with his teammate, the hope is that Santos will return to throwing at some point next week. He is expected to be a vital component in the Mariners bullpen during 2024, coming off a season where he recorded a 3.39 ERA, 2.65 FIP and 1.296 WHIP in 66.1 combined innings.

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And there’s more …

In case Mariners fans want any other reason to fret — something which is almost a perpetual state when following Seattle sports — the team is also currently without Luis Urías. As per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, he is not throwing at this time due to inflammation is his right throwing shoulder.

As per Kramer, Urías is working with infield coach Perry Hill, but mostly just fielding grounders. There is no official timeline for his return at this stage, but the belief is he will be back in time for opening day.

Acquired in a trade following last season, the 26-year-old is projected to share duties with Josh Rojas. However, the longer he is out of action, the more opportunities it will conceivably give Dylan Moore to make a case for increased playing time.

Pending injuries, the pitching staff projects to once again be one of the best in the Majors. However, where is your level of confidence at when it comes to the lineup contributing in 2024? Let us know in the comments section below.