Seattle Mariners Reliever Troy Taylor Shows Signs of Recovery in Latest Bullpen Session
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PEORIA, Ariz. — There's a little over two weeks until the Seattle Mariners open the season against the Athletics on March 27 at T-Mobile Park. And the team will be down several key arms when the first pitch is thrown.
Seattle starting pitcher George Kirby is week-to-week with right shoulder inflammation. And one of the Mariners' best rookies from 2024, reliever Troy Taylor, is working his way back from a right lat strain.
But if Taylor's bullpen session on Monday is any indication, he's well on his way back.
Taylor suffered his right lat strain during the offseason and wasn't cleared to throw until several days into spring training. He had his first bullpen session on Friday. In his bullpen session on Monday, there was some audible zip on his fastball.
Taylor didn't make his major league debut until late August, but quickly became a back-end and high-leverage reliever for Seattle.
He often pitched in the seventh and eighth innings and finished the season with a 3.72 ERA and struck out 25 batters in 19.1 innings pitched across 21 appearances.
Taylor's had a three-pitch mix of a fastball, sweeper and changeup according to Baseball Savant. But his bread and butter was his fastball and sweeper. He had an average velocity of 97 mph (91st percentile in the league) and generated a whiff rate of 44.6% and a put-away rate of 23.6% with his sweeper.
Taylor is expected to begin the season on the injured list. But if he can ramp his arsenal back up to the level it was before the injury, he won't be out for long.
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