Mariners Injury Update: Troy Taylor, Matt Brash, Jackson Kowar

There is no question it's the offense which most needs to improve this year for the Mariners to return to the playoffs. However, it's not the only area of the team which needs to step up, with the bullpen in need of improvement.

As a whole, the bullpen was more than decent enough in 2024, as evidenced by ranking ninth in ERA, fourth in WHIP, and second in both opposing team batting average and fewest walks. However, the reality is the relievers were running on fumes towards the end of the season and just didn't perform up to their usual standard.

Not helping this situation was the Mariners' injury issues, highlighted by Matt Brash missing the entire season. In addition, Gregory Santos was limited to 7 1/3 innings all year and trade deadline acquisition Yimi García saw his campaign end prematurely due to right elbow inflammation.

In this respect, a healthier bullpen will be crucial to the Mariners being in a better position, both late in games and as the season progresses into the dog days of summer. With this in mind, and pitchers and catchers having reported last week, here is a look at the latest injury news for some of the team's relievers.

Mariners Injury Update: Troy Taylor, Matt Brash, Jackson Kowar

Troy Taylor

We begin with Taylor, who Jerry Dipoto recently advised had suffered a right lat strain during his offseason workouts. Updating the media during his Zoom conference call on Feb. 3, Dipoto had said: "He's (to be determined) and we would expect there's at least some potential that he's going to have to start the season down in Arizona rather than with the club, as he ramps up into throwing speed."

Well, we're now happy to provide a positive update for Mariners fans, courtesy of The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish, who relayed Taylor was cleared to resume throwing on Friday.

While this doesn't 100% guarantee Taylor will be ready for Opening Day, the chances now seem considerably better compared to Dipoto's previous update with just under six weeks to prepare for the regular season. The 23-year-old settled in well following his promotion and Major League debut last August, going on to produce a 3.72 ERA, 4.36 FIP, 1.138 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

Matt Brash

The biggest loss of last season was Matt Brash, who had to undergo Tommy John surgery in May and was sorely missed by the bullpen, with his slider arguably being the best pitch on the staff. In 2023 he had led all Major League relievers with 78 appearances, in the process recording a 3.06 ERA, 2.26 FIP and 107 strikeouts in 70 2/3 combined innings.

At the time of his surgery, Brash was expected to be out around one year, with the caveat that recovery time for Major League pitchers can be anywhere between 12-14 months depending on the severity of the injury. In any event, as with Taylor, the Mariners have had some encouraging news in respect of the righty, albeit with some caution.

During his aforementioned Zoom conference call, Dipoto said Brash could be back somewhere around the third week of April, but that he could experience some setback as he gets back up to game mode. It should be noted that Divish reported the 26-year-old threw a light bullpen session on Saturday, but at this time we would veer more towards the beginning of May for his return to Major League action.

Jackson Kowar

We won't go as far as saying Jackson Kowar is infamous. However, he was part of a trade that frustrated plenty of Mariners fans, with him coming to Seattle as part of the return package from the Braves, with Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales, and Evan White headed to ATL last offseason.

Adding to the frustration was that Kowar, who was expected to be a part of the bullpen last year, has yet to actually throw a pitch for the Mariners in the regular season. This is because he suffered an injury last March during a spring training game, which resulted in him having to undergo Tommy John surgery.

As per the earlier point about differing potential recovery timelines for Tommy John surgery, the situation regarding the 2018 first-round draft pick is less clear than it is with Brash. In fact, as per MLB.com, at the time of writing, his expected return is literally just at some point in 2025.

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