Mariners continue to take a cautious approach with Matt Brash

Matt Brash is making encouraging progress with his recovery, but don’t expect to see him in game action for the Mariners anytime soon.

Saturday was a big day for Matt Brash, as he threw his second bullpen session at spring training in Peoria. It was a good mixture of the weapons he has at his disposal, including a slider which has been described as the best pitch on the Seattle Mariners’ staff.

It proved to be an extremely encouraging bullpen session for Brash on Saturday, but the Mariners are continuing to take a cautious approach with him and understandably so. He underwent Tommy John surgery last May and still has some way to go, although the timeline for his return to action is a positive one, with Jerry Dipoto saying on his recent Zoom conference call that it could be as early as the third week in April.

In any event, as per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, the 26-year-old is not expected to pitch in any Cactus League games ahead of the 2025 season. The closest he will get to this is throwing a live batting practice at some point during spring training, with our prediction being that he will return to game action early in May.

Matt Brash and the Mariners in sync with each other

Another positive is that Brash is on the same cautious wavelength with the Mariners, wanting to make sure he does everything that is — and isn’t — asked of him to aid his continued recovery, which has yet to suffer any setbacks. As per Kramer, he said:

“There’s no point [in pushing it] right now. Obviously, I would love to be up there and guys are throwing live at-bats today and doing all that. But I get it. It’s been a long throwing program over last summer and into this year, so I’m not going to push it. I know I’ll be back soon, and I’m not going to miss too much of the year anyways.”

When speaking to the media later on following the bullpen session and other team activities, Mariners manager Dan Wilson was happy with what he saw. He said:

“I keep going back to the smile on his face every time he comes off the mound, because he’s just so excited to be out there, but I thought his bullpen went really, really well. Letting some fastballs go and getting a chance to spin for the first time, threw some curveballs, threw some sliders.”

As much as Wilson needs the likes of Brash back with the team and pitching well to help the Mariners’ chances at a return to the playoffs, he’s even more focused on and concerned with the players themselves. He said:

“In talking with him post- workout, he felt good about it. He was feeling much more like a pitcher, that he could spin the ball a little bit and I thought I saw some good movement on the slider. Again, just to see him and to know that he’s coming along as planned is huge and we’ll just keep him on that same path.”

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M’s bullpen does need Brash

On a peripheral level the Mariners bullpen did just fine last season, ranking ninth in the Majors in ERA, fourth in WHIP and second in both fewest walks and opposing team batting average. However, the reality is they broke down as the 2024 campaign progressed, with pretty much nothing left in the tank by the end of the year.

Not helping this was missing someone like Brash for the entire season, with him having led all Major League relievers with 78 appearances the year before. He was more than just that though, producing a 3.06 ERA, 2.26 FIP and 107 strikeouts in 70.2 combined innings during 2023.

As much as Brash would obviously have preferred not to miss last season, at least it has given him more appreciation of what he has in playing the beautiful game of baseball. As per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times (subscription required), he said:

“The biggest part is just appreciating it a little more. Obviously, I appreciate being in the big leagues and pitching for the Mariners and all that, but when it gets taken away for a year and you have to watch the games on TV, it puts it all into perspective. I love doing this, and I missed it so much.”

You can bet Brash is similarly loved and missed by the Mariners and their fans, with the hope that he can continue to progress without any setbacks and return early in the 2025 season to help the bullpen. For now though, the organization and one of their top relievers will remain cautious, meaning everyone concerned must stay patient, with good things hopefully coming to those who wait.

Main photo credit: Mariners media

When do you expect Brash to return to Major League action this season for the Mariners? Further, how close do you predict he will get to his form in 2023? Let us know in the comments section below.