Mariners get highly-touted trade acquisition back from IL in time for playoff push

The Seattle Mariners are currently two games back of a Wild Card spot and have six games remaining against the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics. The teams ahead of them — the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals — are completely floundering.

And it appears as if Seattle is getting some much-needed help at the right time. The Mariners activated reliever Gregory Santos from the 15-day injured list Monday. In a corresponding move, Jhonathan Díaz was optioned to the Spring Training Complex.

It has been a frustrating season of injuries for Gregory Santos. After he sustained a right latissimus dorsi strain during the back half of spring training, he spent the first three months rehabbing before finally making his long-awaited debut in early July. Unfortunately, his return would be short-lived as he quickly hit the IL again, this time with inflammation of his right biceps. To make matters worse, the 5 1/3 innings he did pitch weren't his best, and he ended up with a 6.75 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 8.4 K/9.

His return spells a last-ditch attempt by the Mariners to utilize any remaining advantages they have left. Santos was effective with the White Sox in 2023, posting a 3.39 ERA and 9.0 K/9 over 66 1/3 innings in his first full major league season. He was anticipated to be a great power pitcher at the back of the bullpen, but, like fellow reliever acquisition Ryne Stanek, he struggled to live up to the hype.

In his most recent rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma, Santos seemed more like his old self, giving up just one earned run in six appearances with six strikeouts. His command still seems to be an issue with his 11.81 BB/9 serving as a red flag if he's placed in high-leverage situations. The velocity on his sinker also seems down a few notches, sitting around 97 MPH (as opposed to the 99 MPH average the past two years).

Whatever the cause, at least his slider is looking sharp. Santos has been out quite a while so there's still a lot of time needed for him to get back on track.

This is Seattle's Hail Mary to make it back into the playoffs. With the Orioles nearly guaranteed one of the three Wild Card spots and three teams in the AL Central still in the running, the Mariners seem like a dark horse candidate to make it to October. But every inning counts, and if Santos can provide any sort of reliever, the M's will be better off for it.

In a best-case scenario, Santos helps Seattle steal a few close games and it's enough for them to squeeze into the playoffs. In a worst-case scenario, he gets a few more live reps and comes back as the integral piece he was meant to be in 2025.

Here's to hoping for the best.