Seattle Mariners Make Big Roster Decision with Frustrating Former Trade Acquisition

The Seattle Mariners made a big roster decision with reliever Gregory Santos on Tuesday, transferring him from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list. Santos has undergone knee surgery and will now be out for two months, at minimum.

General manager Justin Hollander had this to say about Santos last Friday before the opening of a three-game series with the Miami Marlins.

Gregory Santos is going to have knee surgery on Tuesday in Chicago. After we optioned him, he let us know that the conservative care that we were working with around his knee was not feeling 100%. We sent him to the doctor. They're going to do a cartilage cleanup in his knee. TBD on the timeline but we would expect him back this year. Just don't know when. Some of that depends on how the surgery goes. But that would be Tuesday in Chicago.

It's been a frustrating tenure in Seattle for Santos, who was acquired before the 2024 season from the Chicago White Sox. Expected to be a crucial part of the M's bullpen, Santos missed most of 2024 with various injuries and only made eight appearances. In eight appearances this year, he's 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA. He's failed to record a single strikeout in 7.0 innings while walking eight.

The Mariners sent him to Triple-A, as Hollander indicated, which is when he worked to ramp up his recovery.

The Mariners enter play on Tuesday at 16-12 overall and in first place in the American League West.

They'll play the Los Angeles Angels at 6:40 p.m. PT.

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