Mariners get promising injury update on reliever who needs to succeed in 2025

Seattle had relatively good injury luck in 2024. They got 30 or more starts from four guys in the rotation, and while Bryan Woo was sidelined for part of the year he was outstanding when healthy, producing a 2.89 ERA over 121 1/3 innings.

The bullpen, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky with Gregory Santos and Matt Brash missing most (or in Brash's case, all) of the season. On the bright side, it seems that both players are on the road to recovery and could be returning to action soon.

In a virtual press conference, Jerry Dipoto gave several key updates on the offseason, but also mentioned Santos was in great shape ahead of spring training.

Mariners Injury Update: Gregory Santos on the mend for Seattle

This is great news after what can only be described as a frustrating 2024 for Santos. A major trade acquisition in last year's offseason, his expectations were high and he was projected to be another electric arm at the back of the bullpen. With a sinker that sits in the high 90s and a slider in the low 90s, his pure stuff was some of the best in baseball. Unfortunately, a lat strain and right bicep inflammation limited his work in a Mariners uniform to just 7 1/3 innings. Even in this small sample size, he performed as anticipated, minimizing walks while maximizing soft contact with a barrel rate of just 4.3%.

Fortunately, even after missing significant time, it didn't seem like he lost much velocity or movement on either of his main pitches. Coupled with recent news on Brash's timeline to return, it seems that Seattle's pitching staff could be even more effective than it was last year. Even without these two pitchers, Seattle relievers combined for a 3.71 ERA, ninth in MLB, so the sky is the limit for 2025.

If Santos does remain healthy and becomes an integral piece of the pitching staff for the remainder of his team control, it will make the deal that originally brought him to Seattle even more lopsided. Zach DeLoach, an outfielder that was one of the players sent to the White Sox, was recently designated for assignment. Prelander Berroa, the other player sent to Chicago, has been serviceable, but on a roster as weak as the White Sox it's hard to tell whether he'll really have an impact.

The front office has made other moves to bolster the bullpen, including a recent trade with the Reds in addition to signing a volatile arm with high potential upside. These moves add depth and it's doubtful that every arm currently listed on the roster will see significant action, but it allows the team to hedge against further injuries.