Mariners' latest injury updates suggest Matt Brash is headed for a lost season

All season long the Seattle Mariners have held their breath, waiting for Matt Brash to return from the Injured List and give their bullpen the boost it so desperately needs. For weeks, his return seemed not only possible, but imminent. But now, with September here, that optimism has taken a troubling turn and what once looked like a late-season return is suddenly in serious doubt.

Following a Wednesday night bullpen session in Boston, Mariners general manager Justin Hollander announced that Brash was undergoing an MRI on his right shoulder after experiencing tightness, an issue that has continued to linger throughout his rehabilitation.

“The bullpen itself went very well,” Hollander said as reported by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. “After the bullpen, he felt some tightness in his lat again. This has sort of been a recurring theme with this specific injury."

Time is running out for Matt Brash to throw without discomfort

The recurrence of the issue is what makes the latest update concerning. According to Hollander, Brash has mostly felt good while throwing on flat ground and during bullpen sessions. The problem has been what happens afterward.

"It has continued to tighten up on him as he finishes the bullpen and gets into the recovery phase. I don’t really know what this means. We’ll see what the MRI says. It’s happening now, so we should have an update for you in the next few days on where Matt is at.”

Even before the MRI results, Hollander offered a bleak answer when asked whether he thought Brash could still return in time to help Seattle down the stretch: "Time is running out."

Brash was initially sidelined back in May after putting together an impressive start to the season. In 20 appearances, he allowed just one earned run posting a stellar 0.54 ERA. He surrendered eight hits and six walks while striking out 15 batters, finishing with a 0.84 WHIP. Before his lat began to bother him, Brash looked like the dominant late-inning reliever Seattle expected him to be.

After spending around two months rehabbing in Arizona, there was plenty of buzz indicating that the right-hander was nearing a return, likely in late August or early September. But now, that timeline seems impossible.

Another blow for an already struggling Mariners bullpen

Brash's latest setback only adds to the exhaustion of a Mariners bullpen that has endured endless strain all season long. The recent returns of Cooper Criswell and Carlos Vargas are positive steps, but Brash's absence is still felt.

This is not to mention the frustration surrounding the team's season-long reluctance to bolster the bullpen in anticipation of injured players like Brash returning. Seattle has leaned heavily on the relievers available to them, and as the postseason race tightens, that workload could become even more difficult to manage. Brash was supposed to be one of those reinforcements, and ideally a game-changing addition to a bullpen that could desperately use one.

Instead, the Mariners are once again waiting for updates and answers.

With just 22 games left in the regular season, the window for Brash to make a meaningful impact is getting smaller by the day. While his return isn't officially off the table, it's difficult to imagine him making a difference with so little time remaining. After months of waiting, the Mariners will have to wait a little longer. As Hollander said, time really is running out.

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