Mariners fans' worst fear ahead of ALDS vs. Tigers may have just come true

The Seattle Mariners no longer have to wait to know who they're playing in the American League Division Series, but it seems like the wait for Bryan Woo to pitch again is at least a week from being over.

It was right around when the Detroit Tigers were dispatching the Cleveland Guardians to set up a showdown with Seattle that the latest on Woo started to trickle out of T-Mobile Park. The All-Star righty took a big step in his recovery from right pectoral tightness by throwing a bullpen session, but then let the air out of the room when he spoke to reporters.

“A positive day,” Woo said, per Tim Booth and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. “I’m still not where I want to be in terms of game speed of everything, but in terms of how everything’s progressed, I’m happy with it, considering a week ago I wasn’t even throwing yet. And then a week from now, hopefully, we’ll be in a better spot.”

Wait...did he say a week from now?

New timeline for Bryan Woo puts his ALDS availability in doubt

If Woo is indeed at least a week away from pitching again, that puts his availability in the ALDS in significant doubt. The longest the series can go is next Friday, when the Mariners would host the Tigers in Seattle for Game 5 if the two clubs split the first two games.

Even that seems optimistic. Woo only threw 15 pitches off the mound on Thursday, a far cry from the 90 he averaged in a typical start this year. It seems conceivable that he would need to ramp back up before he's ready to be thrown into a game situation, in which case it's hard to imagine him pitching in the ALDS at all.

As disconcerting as all this is, it isn't especially surprising. Woo's recovery had always seemed to be going slower than the Mariners were willing to admit, to a point where every new update made fans more nervous rather than less.

The glass-half-full read here is that it won't be a mortal blow if Woo is unable to go in the ALDS. The Mariners' roster is more than just one guy, and it hardly feels like a hot take that the Mariners are deeper than the Tigers. Notably, the two clubs went in opposite directions after the Mariners swept a three-game series in July.

That said, Woo was the Mariners' best pitcher in general this year, and certainly their best on the road. He had a 3.40 ERA away from home, whereas no other Seattle starter who made at least 10 starts on the road had an ERA below 4.70.

The Mariners might have hoped to start Woo in Game 3 or Game 4 in Detroit, potentially with the series on the line in either game. But if he does need another week, well, so much for that.

If Woo has to remain on the sidelines, the next man up is Bryce Miller. He just hasn't been right this year, pitching to a 5.68 ERA in 18 starts. The best place for him in October was not back in the rotation, but in the bullpen.

Because the Woo situation is technically still a wait-and-see thing for the Mariners, there's no harm in fans crossing their fingers. But if anyone is still expecting to actually see him pitch in the ALDS, now's a good time to get realistic.