There are only ten games left in the season for the Mariners, and this might be the closest race we've seen in a long time in the AL West. It's not just Wild Card berths on the line, but the actual division crown as well. A strong finish could net you the division and a first-round bye. A bad finish... and well, you still won't be playing Wild Card weekend... or at all.
Could the Mariners be seeing anyone rejoin the squad? They've had a handful of players injured this year, and I wanted to quickly check on where they stood as the team get's ready for these final ten games against Tex-Hou-Tex.
We will get the obvious ones out of the way, and slowly move towards the players that we might see back if the Mariners can keep playing baseball long enough.
Mariners SP Robbie Ray - Tommy John - All-Star Break
Mariners SP Easton McGee - Tommy John - Late 2024 possibly
Mariners RP Penn Murfee - Tommy John - Late 2024 possibly
Mariners SP Marco Gonzalez - Flexor Sugery - When pitchers report to Arizona, he should be there
Those guys are all out for the season, and Marco is the only one who will be throwing when the Mariners report in 2024. Everyone else will be out longer with the dreaded TJ, although we should expect to see Robbie Ray around the All-Star Break sometime.
Mariners SP Emerson Hancock - Shoulder Strain
If he was a veteran, he likely would've had a shot at returning to finish out the season. He went out on August 20th, and initial reports were 4-6 weeks for this injury. However, his shoulder history led the team to be more cautious and shut him down for the rest of the season.
Mariners 1B/OF Evan White - Hip injury
It still blows my mind that Evan White has a Gold Glove. That isn't something that we immeadiately remember with all the injuries he has had since then and the fact that it happened during the shortened 2020 season. He injured his hip once again back in May, and there hasn't been much news on it since. Originally they expected him back in September, but there haven't been any reliable updates since May.
Mariners Catcher Tom Murphy - Left Thumb Sprain
Murphy was supposed to be back towards the end of the month, but it's been fairly quiet out there in regards to his return, but he is supposed to be re-evaluated today according to Shannon Drayer. Luis Torrens has been fine since he got called up, but Cal Raleigh is going to need a break behind the plate at some point.
The only player we could see back is Tom Murphy. Everyone else on the Injured List is out, or can't be trusted enough to help at all (Evan White) if they do make it back. What you see with the Mariners is what you get, and hopefully, that's enough.