3 ways for Mariners to overcome Ryan Bliss' devastating biceps injury

For the second time in three days, the Seattle Mariners have been hit with devastating injury news concerning one of their key players. First it was Victor Robles, and now it's Ryan Bliss.

The speedy second baseman went on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a torn left biceps, which he suffered during Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park. On Thursday, the team announced that the 25-year-old Bliss will miss four to five months after having surgery.

Here's Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports with the report:

Without their starting second baseman for the foreseeable future, the Mariners must consider all their options for how to stay alive in the American League West.

The Mariners have in-house replacements for Ryan Bliss, but may also need to consider trade options

What the Mariners can do now: Stick with Dylan Moore and Miles Mastrobuoni

Moore and Mastrobuoni are the only two players besides Bliss to start at second base for the Mariners in 2025, and there's a non-zero chance that the duo could form a tenable duo at the keystone.

The Gold Glove-winning Moore can at least account for the loss of Bliss on defense, who had been an early standout in the field prior to his injury. Both Moore and Mastrobuoni have started warm offensively, collectively providing 12 hits in 40 at-bats for a .300 average.

It's more likely, though, that this pairing can only be a temporary fix at second. Mastrobuoni came into this year with a mere .542 OPS to show for three major league seasons, while Moore has mainly been needed at third base. The spot is meant to be manned by Jorge Polanco, but he's been dealing with knee and side soreness.

What the Mariners can do soon: Promote Ben Williamson or Cole Young

The Mariners are flush with talented infield prospects, and Williamson and Young are two who are stashed a short way away at Triple-A Tacoma. Per MLB Pipeline, they rank as the Mariners' No. 13 and No. 3 prospects, respectively.

Williamson is a potential Gold Glove winner at third base. The Mariners could conceivably put him there and have Moore take over as the everyday second baseman, with Polanco settling into a full-time role at DH.

Alternatively, the Mariners could insert Young into second base directly. He is seen as a plus hitter, with defensive skills that give him upside at either shortstop or second base.

The catch is that neither Williamson nor Young is off to a hot start in the minors. The former is batting .244 and the latter is batting .171, and neither has hit a home run yet. As such, the Mariners would arguably be guilty of rushing them if they acted sooner rather than later.

What the Mariners can do later: Make a trade

Making trades is kind of Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto's whole thing, so it's easy to presume he's already working the phones in search of outside help for second base.

Struggling teams that could be looking to sell early include the Colorado Rockies, who can offer Kyle Farmer, and Chicago White Sox, who have Lenyn Sosa. If the Pittsburgh Pirates continue to struggle in the NL Central, Isiah Kiner-Falefa could potentially become available. There are also change of scenery candidates out there, including Vaughn Grissom (Boston Red Sox), Justin Foscue (Texas Rangers), and Marco Luciano (San Francisco Giants).

If the Mariners want to wait for better options to hit the trade market, it's possible that guys like Bo Bichette, Brandon Lowe, Brendan Donovan, and Willi Castro could become available as the season moves along. Each would be a more substantial upgrade than any of the names listed above.

For the time being, the Mariners have been hit with yet another challenge for a season that has already been full of them. A 5-8 start is never ideal, much less when the immediate future doesn't include two players who were meant to help carry the team.