Mariners suffer another injury blow with loss of Ryan Bliss

Two days after losing Víctor Robles for 12 weeks, the Mariners have learned that Ryan Bliss will miss most if not all of the 2025 season.

It’s been an interesting week for the Seattle Mariners even this early in the season, beginning with the news that Víctor Robles will miss at least the next 12 weeks due to a small fracture in the humeral head in his left shoulder. This was soon followed by a first series win of the year, thanks to a dramatic comeback 7-6 walk-off walk in the rubber match against the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon.

On the same day that Randy Arozarena proved to be the hero, Ryan Bliss was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a torn left biceps which he suffered during Tuesday night’s game versus the Astros. Well, now there has been a further update on Bliss’ injury status and it’s not good news at all for the Mariners or their fans.

The Mariners announced on Thursday that the infielder will need surgery, following an MRI which confirmed just how serious his injury is. As a result he will now be out for the next four-to-five months, meaning the very strong possibility that his season is over.

Ryan Bliss is a key loss for the Mariners infield

The infield is the weakest position on the roster as it is, so losing Bliss at second base certainly won’t help. Even allowing for a slow start to the season with his bat as evidenced by a .200 batting average and .596 OPS through 11 games, his blazing speed and defense will be a huge loss for the Mariners.

What is amazing is that Bliss was able to continue playing on the Tuesday night following his injury, to the extent of making an excellent defensive play in the top of the 10th to save a run. Speaking postgame to the media including Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, he said:

“I felt fine after that and was like, ‘I can still play.’ I made up all my defensive plays. But by that last inning, it was feeling a little tight, but I felt like I could still rock.”

Mariners manager Dan Wilson understandably lamented the injury to Bliss and was asked about what the team will do moving forward without the 25-year-old. Also as per Kramer, Wilson said:

“We’ll continue to look at different options and see how we go forward from here. Ryan played such a good defense there and really made the most of his opportunity when he had it. And now we’re going to have to make our adjustment.”

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Options to replace Ryan Bliss at second base

The Mariners do indeed have options when it comes to second base, including Dylan Moore, Miles Mastrobuoni and Leo Rivas. There is also the possibility of Jorge Polanco, depending on factors such continuing to see how things go for him at third base, combined with dealing with some soreness which has caused him to miss playing time.

There is the possibility that the loss of both Bliss and Robles could persuade Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander to consider external options, pending if there are any funds available from ownership. One name being mentioned is six-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger J. D. Martinez, although he is mainly suited to being a DH at this point in his Major League career.

In general it has been a rough start for the Mariners, who have a 5-8 record ahead of their three-game home series this weekend versus a Texas Rangers team which sits 4.0 games ahead of them at the top of the AL West. On the positive side, at least they have George Kirby and Matt Brash coming back soon as quality options to help improve the pitching staff.

What do the losses of Bliss and Robles mean for the Mariners moving forward this season? Are you confident in the internal options to cover their respective absences, or do you believe external additions are needed? Let us know in the comments section below.