Mariners: When Will Ken Giles Return to the Bullpen?

A year and a half removed from Tommy John surgery, Seattle Mariners reliever Ken Giles may be returning to the mound soon. According to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, Giles has been cleared to resume throwing after injuring a tendon in his right middle finger at the end of Spring Training.

The Mariners were hopeful that Ken Giles, a dominant closer for the Blue Jays in 2019, would become another high-leverage arm by the beginning of this season; he was signed to a two-year deal in the offseason after the 2020 season, with a club option for a third season.

With quality relievers Casey Sadler and Sergio Romo sidelined due to injury, Seattle is desperate to add juice to their bullpen. Late-inning options Diego Castillo and Andres Munoz have been consistent this season, but Drew Steckenrider has struggled and Paul Sewald recently a missed a week after catching COVID.

Ken Giles features a fastball that hovers around 97 mph and can reach up to 100, as well as a wipeout slider with heavy vertical drop. When he’s able to locate his fastball to work ahead in counts and use his slider effectively with two strikes, he can be practically unhittable.

The news of Giles returning to throwing is certainly encouraging, however it will take some time for the flamethrower to ramp up his activity and get back to form. Especially coming off of Tommy John surgery, the Mariners will be extra careful with Giles as he prepares to return to game action.

Don’t be surprised to see Ken Giles see time with Triple-A Tacoma by the end of next week; hopefully, that stint will be short and productive, and we’ll be able to see the former closer with Seattle by mid-May.