Mariners get huge injury update on key reliever who underwent Tommy John surgery

Sometimes, holiday gifts come early. Whether it's a bonus check from work, an itchy sweater from your grandparents, or positive news from your favorite baseball team, they come in every shape and size. For Seattle Mariners fans, the holidays may have come a few weeks early after learning about the health of one of their younger pitchers.

Matt Brash, one of Seattle's promising relievers, underwent Tommy John surgery in early May this year, which had everyone expecting an absence for well over a year. However, the electrifying Brash was spotted a month ago throwing off of a mound and clearly enjoying his time back on the field. And there's some more good news with his injury update.

Mariners News: Matt Brash injury update puts 2025 bullpen in good position

Brash, 26, is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery time, meaning he could return to throwing in an MLB game much sooner than anticipated. The latest reports have him potentially ready for action by the end of April. He's one of the nastiest pitchers in the sport, and if he continues to shatter his expected return time, we no longer have to wait on his jaw-dropping pitches, as often highlighted by Pitching Ninja.

Brash did not appear in a game in 2024, and although he finally received the surgery in May, he was dealing with elbow issues a few months beforehand. He was just coming off of a breakout campaign in 2023, which saw him log 107 strikeouts and a 3.06 ERA in 70 2/3 relief frames. His 13.63 K/9 was third-most among American League relievers who tossed at least 40 innings that season.

He lights up the leaderboards, landing in the 96th percentile or better in whiff rate, strikeout rate, velocity, and breaking run value. Seattle will be excited to have him back to build upon the dominant season their bullpen put together. The Mariners had the best bullpen K/9 in the American League (9.67) thanks to guys like Andrés Muñoz, Ryne Stanek, and Collin Snider. Stanek is now a free agent, so filling that spot with Brash would be an improvement.

The Mariners already have the best starting rotation in baseball. Everyone knows that. However, with a healthy and more experienced Brash, where does their bullpen rank? The sky seems to be the limit as Jerry Dipoto continues to build the staff. We won't get too deep into that just yet, but knowing that Brash's health is trending upward is some of the best news we could ask for.