Seattle Mariners' Opening Day Starting Infielder Takes Major Step in Injury Recovery

Mariners second baseman Ryan Bliss has begun baseball activities after missing most of the season with torn left biceps.

Seattle Mariners second baseman Ryan Bliss goes for a tag during a game against the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 5 at Oracle Park. | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners are in the middle of a playoff push that features new additions to the roster from the trade deadline.

First baseman Josh Naylor, left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson and third baseman Eugenio Suarez have all made respective impacts since being acquired by the Mariners. And some familiar faces might be close to joining them and the rest of the club.

Second baseman Ryan Bliss has been out since April 9 due to a left biceps tear. He suffered the injury during an at-bat against the Houston Astros on April 8.

Bliss has been at Seattle's complex in Peoria, Ariz., rehabbing the injury. He's recently begun light baseball activities and was fielding ground balls before a game against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on Friday.

Ryan Bliss (torn left biceps) fielding ground balls here at T-Mobile Park.#Mariners #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/WIgn9btVgO

— Teren Kowatsch (@Teren_Kowatsch) August 1, 2025

"Great to see (Ryan). Another one of the energy guys," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said before the game Friday. "Always a smile on his face. He's a guy that lifts people up, and that's such an awesome quality to have. He's been down in Arizona doing just that with a lot of the guys down there. Now he gets a chance to come up here and do it with us. ... It's great to have these guys around and really picking us up."

Bliss' original diagnosis had him out 4-5 months, with the very real possibility of being out an entire season.

Bliss earned the team's starting second base job out of spring training. The position is currently occupied by rookie Cole Young, who made his major league debut May 31.

Bliss scored one run in 11 games and hit one double and one home run with three RBIs before his injury. He slashed .200/.282/.314 with a .596 OPS and had a six-game hit streak before he landed on the IL.

💥 Absolutely BLISStered 💥 pic.twitter.com/GCW8egGY7G

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) April 8, 2025

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