Mariners' Opening Day 2B from 2025 is now buried deep in 2026 roster

As the Seattle Mariners prepared for the 2025 season, Ryan Bliss was living up to his surname both professionally and in his personal life. He played well enough during spring training to be named the M's Opening Day second baseman and was also busy with wedding planning, with teammate J.P. Crawford set to officiate the event the following January.

However, things quickly took a turn for the worse on the field, as Bliss suffered a left biceps tear while swinging in a game on Apr. 8 against the Houston Astros. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the following day, followed by the grim prognosis that he would miss between four and five months after undergoing surgery.

There had been some genuine hope that the 26-year-old could follow a similar route to Víctor Robles and be back to help the Mariners in their late-season quest to make the playoffs. However, these hopes were dashed when general manager Justin Hollander announced the unfortunate Bliss had suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during an early September rehab assignment, with him subsequently having to undergo season-ending surgery.

Mariners have a crowded infield

Now, nearly 12 months after being named the Opening Day second basemen, how does the land lie for the 2021 second-round draft pick? Well he's healthy, in Peoria for spring training and technically back in the mix at second base, but the harsh reality is that he's kind of on the outside looking in.

As things stand, Cole Young is projected to be the starting second baseman for the Mariners. However, if this doesn't pan out and/or pending what happens with Colt Emerson, recently acquired Brendan Donovan will man the position he started most of last season in St. Louis with the Cardinals.

In addition, as per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, there are other infielders on the Mariners 40-man roster who could compromise Bliss' path to playing time in the majors. Leo Rivas is projected to land a bench bat job due to his utility and ability to switch-hit, while Miles Mastrobuoni is out of minor league options.

Time for Ryan Bliss to move on to new pastures?

Barring injuries and any other unforeseen circumstances, it seems likely that Bliss is going to end up in Triple-A Tacoma with the Rainiers. In one respect it's a good idea to have him around for quality depth, due to Donovan's versatility and the overall volatility of the second base situation, but is this really fair to him?

You do have to wonder if the Mariners should consider trading the Burbank, California native to give him the kind of opportunity he arguably deserves. As much as his .214 batting average and .654 OPS in the majors might not sound like much, he's only played 44 games so far. And for what it's worth, he was on a six-game hitting streak with a .833 OPS prior to his torn bicep injury versus the Astros.

Overall, this is a really tough luck situation for the diminutive Bliss, who the Mariners had high hopes for when they acquired him at the end of July in 2023, as part of the return package which sent Paul Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks. A guy who's managed a .800 OPS in the minors just deserves better, but he might not be able to find it in Seattle.