Matt Brash will miss at least 1 year for Mariners after surgery

What Mariners fans have feared has finally come true, with Matt Brash undergoing Tommy John surgery and not set to return until next June.

At the end of February, we wrote about how Matt Brash could miss the entire 2024 season for the Seattle Mariners. However, when it was subsequently reported that he would not undergo surgery, there seemed to be some hope for a return at some point this year.

Now though, the situation has taken a turn for the worse again, with Brash undergoing Tommy John surgery. As per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, the pitcher is targeting a return of June next year.

Of course vice president and general manager Justin Hollander understandably hopes that Brash can return sooner. As per Kramer, he said:

“It could go faster than that; I would be excited if it did. I would hate to ever peg that as the most likely outcome, a sub-12-month rehab, but they feel really good about how the procedure went and his ability to rehab from it successfully.”

This is the Mariners we’re talking about however, so to expect anything to work in their favor seems foolish, given how much bad luck the franchise has endured since 1977. Irrespective, recovery from Tommy John surgery takes at least nine months and usually longer, so it’s best to stick with the current timeline of June next year.

Losing Brash for this season is of course a blow to the Mariners, with his slider widely regarded as the best pitch on the staff. Last year he was first among all Major League relievers with 78 appearances, as he produced a 3.06 ERA, 2.26 FIP and 107 strikeouts in 70.2 combined innings.

This is not to say the 26-year-old didn’t cause angst at times among the Mariners fan base. Last season he recorded a 1.330 WHIP, although at least this was down from 1.559 during his rookie season in Seattle.

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More injury news for the Mariners

As if the loss of Brash isn’t enough, the Mariners are currently also without Gregory Santos, who was signed earlier this year to boost the bullpen. However, he has yet to pitch in 2024 due to a right latissimus dorsi strain, and has now suffered a setback in his recovery.

Already on the 60-day Injured List, Santos was not able to return until late May at the earliest as it was, but now it’s even worse. As Hollander said:

“We do think that pushes back his timeline obviously. Originally, we’d hoped at the end of May or early June. But now we’re looking at July, just realistically where that is.”

While the Mariners would obviously prefer to have Brash and Santos in the bullpen right now, the relievers have at least held their own up to this point of the 2024 campaign. Entering Sunday’s action, they are ranked fifth in the Majors in team ERA, tied fourth in WHIP and sixth in batting average.

How much confidence do you have in the Mariners bullpen, specifically without Brash? Do you see the relievers being good enough to help the ball club, or will the injury issues ultimately cost them come season’s end? Let us know in the comments section below.