Seattle Mariners Get Surprisingly Good News on Dominant Reliever, Still Likely to Start Season on IL
Considering that earlier this week we thought that Seattle Mariners' dominant reliever Matt Brash could be lost for the season, the news from the team on his injured arm was surprisingly good on Friday.
Per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times:
Mariners announced Matt Brash has medial elbow inflammation and can start playing catch on Tuesday. Brash visited Dr. Keith Meister, who opted not to have a surgical procedure.
Brash won't likely be ready for opening day. He has to have a full build-up. The Mariners will also be cautious. The MRI was consistent with past scans of his elbow.
It's understandable that the M's would be cautious with Brash given the importance of him to the bullpen, but it's also phenomenal news that he isn't expected to face a lengthy absence.
The 25-year-old Brash is one of the nastiest pitchers in all of baseball, complete with a triple-digit fastball and a wicked slider. He went 9-4 last season for Seattle with a 3.06 ERA and led baseball in appearances with 78. He made his major league debut in 2022 and made five starts before heading to Triple-A and resurfacing as a dynamite reliever.
Along with Andres Munoz and Gregory Santos, Brash is supposed to form one of the best back-end bullpen trios in all of baseball. Santos himself has been slowed in camp because of lat soreness but appears to making progress as well.
The Mariners finished 88-74 and missed the playoffs by 1.0 game in 2023. If they are to rebound in 2024, the bullpen will be a big reason why.
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