Will Seattle Mariners Ace Bryan Woo Be Ready for Game One of the Playoffs?
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As the Mariners prepare for their first trip to the postseason since 2022, they're still haggling with details over the roster and the rotation. There will be some tough decisions ahead for team management, as the roster shrinks from 28 to 26 players. But perhaps the biggest question for the club right now concerns the health status of righthanded starter Bryan Woo.
Woo established himself as the team's top pitcher in 2025. The 25-year-old hurler posted a 15-7 record, with a 2.94 ERA, and 198 strikeouts over a career-high 186 1/3 innings. Unfortunately for Woo and his team, he missed his final regular-season start due to an inflamed pectoral muscle, and his status for the playoffs is unknown.
#Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto has a "good deal of optimism" about Bryan Woo's status for the ALDS.
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) September 28, 2025
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However, Mariners President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto believes the righty will be ready when his number is called. In the meantime, Woo will be evaluated during his next bullpen session or when he throws against live batters.
“We already have a pretty good idea of what the plan is for Bryan, although we're going to wait until he actually [throws] a bullpen or sees a hitter before we make a final determination,” Dipoto said.
The Mariners Need a Healthy Woo
In any normal circumstance, Bryan Woo would already be penciled in as Seattle's Game 1 starter, and he would be preparing to face either the Detroit Tigers or Cleveland Guardians in the Divisional Series.
But Dipoto insists that the Mariners have enough depth that they don't necessarily need to push the pitcher to that point. Even if he can't go in the initial game of the series, the more pertinent matter is getting him healthy and able to contribute throughout the postseason.
“It won't be necessarily geared toward who's your No. 1 starter, but who do we feel is most rested, best positioned, and where does Bryan slot in?” Dipoto said. “And we can't really make the other decisions until we have a better idea where Bryan will slot.”
