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Seattle Mariners High-Leverage Reliever Shut Down For Rest of Season
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- Seattle Mariners High-Leverage Reliever Shut Down For Rest of Season
Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson speaks to the media before a game against the Athletics on Friday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. | Teren Kowatsch/Roundtable Sports
SEATTLE — For the last three months, the Seattle Mariners have been operating without one of the best arms in its bullpen.
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Since June 9, right-handed reliever Matt Brash has been on the injured list due to right inflammation. It's his second stint on the IL due to the same injury after he was previously out of action from April 30-May 20.
The Mariners have operated under the assumption that Brash would be back sometime in late August or early September. He threw a bullpen during the team's most recent road series against the Boston Red Sox .
Brash felt tightness in his lat following the bullpen and the team felt the need to get the flame-throwing righty an MRI , which revealed unfortunate news for Seattle.
According to Mariners general manager Justin Hollander in a pregame interview Friday at T-Mobile Park, the MRI showed a return of inflammation in Brash's lat. He'll be shut down for eight weeks, which will end his season.
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Hollander said that the hope and expectation is that the extended down time will allow Brash to completely heal and pick up his typical offseason throwing progression.
"All of us and (Brash), especially, were hoping (he'd) get back and get to the end of the year here and be able to be active," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Friday. "He's put in a ton of work to get there. Injuries are tough. They're very difficult. It's never the right time for one, it's always about hard road back, a long road back. I know (Brash) is disappointed and rightfully so. That's a tough break."
Amidst his two respective injured list stints, Brash has posted a 0.54 ERA this year and has struck out 15 batters in 16.2 innings of work across 20 appearances.
The current setback for Brash is the latest in a series of them that has plagued the high-leverage arm over the last three seasons.
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After leading the Mariners in appearances (71) in 2023, Brash missed all of 2024 and part of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Despite not posting a full season last year, Brash still proved an invaluable part of the team's bullpen.
In 2025, Brash had a 2.47 ERA and fanned 58 batters in 47.1 innings of work across 53 appearances and had 21 holds and four saves in five opportunities.
Still fighting for a playoff spot, Seattle will have to navigate the rest of the year and the bullpen without one of the most dangerous relievers in the organization.
