SEATTLE — Mariners right-hander Matt Brash, one of the American League’s top relievers last season, underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this week and will miss the entire 2024 season, Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said. on Friday.
Brash had not pitched in the majors this season after experiencing discomfort in his elbow during spring training. He initially attempted to rehabilitate the injury without the need for surgery, but last month suffered a setback shortly before leaving for a rehabilitation mission.
Hollander said after meeting with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, the decision was made to have the surgery on Wednesday.
“To have his season end like this sucks for him. It stinks for us,” Hollander said. “Probably one of the most popular players in the organization among his teammates, among the staff.”
Hollander said Brash had a partial tear in his posterior area of the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow, an area of the ligament that is difficult to rehabilitate without surgery. Brash was able to pitch without any problems despite the tear, until he started experiencing pain when pitching last month.
Hollander said the hope is that Brash will return to play for the Mariners sometime in the late spring or early summer of next season. Meister also placed a brace on Brash’s elbow in hopes of speeding recovery from the UCL. The strap is separate from the internal braces surgery as Spencer Strider have undergone to repair elbow problems.
Brash led all of baseball with 78 starts last season and posted a 9-4 record with a 3.04 ERA. He struck out 107 batters in 70 2/3 innings, often using a slider that made him one of the toughest relievers to face.
Brash began his career with Seattle in 2022 as a starter before transitioning to the bullpen. He played in 117 games over the previous two seasons and is the latest name to join the growing list of players sidelined by elbow problems this year, including Strider, Cleveland’s Shane Bieber, New York Yankees’ Jonathan Loáisiga, Miami’s Eury Pérez and Oakland’s . Trevor Gott.
“I would put him as one of the best relievers in the league,” Seattle coach Scott Servais said. “It’s probably the most unique breaking ball. It’s the breaking ball that everyone in the league is talking about; Slider by Matt Brash. It’s just a destruction throw. When you don’t have a weapon like that, you have to manipulate a bullpen a little differently. He’s a great security blanket when you come up with a plan every night.”
The Mariners have been without two of their top relievers since spring training. Brash was sidelined with elbow problems and Gregory Santos is sidelined with a side strain. Hollander said that Santos had a small setback in the recovery and, after a brief break, returned to throwing for about 27 meters. But the setback means it will likely be July before the Saints play a game for the Mariners.
While pitching news has been mixed, the Mariners may be close to getting two position players back. Outfielder Dominic Canzone (shoulder) is expected to begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday, while shortstop JP Crawford (oblique) is expected to begin a rehab assignment this weekend or early next week.
