By Paul L. Taylor Posted on

Mariners looking mostly good on injury front ahead of 2026 season

Caution is the name of the game for the Seattle Mariners, particularly when it comes to J.P. Crawford and Bryce Miller.

Injuries will always play a part in any Major League campaign, just by virtue of the wear and tear together with the increased chances for issues over the course of 162 games. It becomes even more frustrating when injuries occur before the regular season even begins, something which the Mariners have been dealing with of late.

The Mariners are lucky in so far as Logan Evans is their only serious injury as things stand, with him already gone for the entire year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Evans aside, the biggest concern surrounds recent issues for J.P. Crawford and Bryce Miller, who are both key parts of a roster expected to challenge for the World Series in 2026.

J.P. Crawford back but will have to wait to play in the field

Crawford became noticeable by his absence following his appearance in the Mariners’ Cactus League opener versus the Padres, with fans understandably wondering what was going on. Manager Dan Wilson confirmed last week that the team’s starting shortstop was dealing with right shoulder soreness, but would resume hitting again within a week.

Interestingly, Crawford also dealt with a similar issue around the same time last year, but the point was that Wilson and the Mariners weren’t concerned about it. Still, nothing quite settles the mind like seeing the actual player in action, and fans got their wish on Tuesday in the Cactus League game against the Angels.

The 2020 Gold Glove winner was in the lineup as designated hitter in the 7-6 loss to the Angels, and had a memorable first at-bat when he popped out to short after breaking his bat. However, he then forced a walk in his next plate appearance and subsequently scored a run, before being replaced in the fifth inning for a pinch-hitter.

Of course the question is when Crawford will actually return to playing defense, but the Mariners’ plan is to remain cautious with his shoulder. He will play as a DH for the next few games before reevaluating things, but there remains no concern that he will be back on the field well before the regular season begins.

For now, Wilson is just happy to have the 2013 16th overall draft pick involved again. Speaking to the media following the Angels game, he said:

“Getting him back in the lineup and getting some at-bats for him is huge. A good start today, and he’ll keep building on that going forward.”

Mariners in no rush with Bryce Miller

As for Miller, he’s been dealing with left side oblique inflammation since he made his first start of spring training last Thursday in the 8-7 win against the Guardians. It’s tough not to feel some sympathy for a player who had lingering elbow issues throughout last season, which actually extended back to the end of the 2024 campaign.

The immediate aftermath of discovering the oblique issue was that the righty would miss his next start and be reevaluated in a week. In the meantime, he has taken a step in his recovery by playing catch on Tuesday and Wednesday.

As per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, Miller said he feels good and is now just eager to get back to throwing pitches off the mound. As with Crawford however, the Mariners are taking every precaution and the pitcher will have to make do with playing catch for now, before he has any actual bullpen sessions.

The Mariners know they can afford to bring Miller along slowly, in part because he is the number five starter. Not that this should minimize his importance in any way, given that he led the rotation with a 3.4 bWAR in 2024 and last season put on a pitching masterclass in Game 1 of the ALCS versus the Blue Jays in a 3-1 win.

Make no mistake – the Mariners need the 27-year-old primed and healthy for the road which lies ahead in a season which promises so much. It will be interesting to see how things play out for him injury-wise though, with backup rotation options including the likes of Emerson Hancock, Cooper Criswell and Dane Dunning.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rogers Photography

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