Seattle Mariners Injury Updates: Latest on 6 pitchers and 1 hitter

With the Seattle Mariners returning home for a six-game homestand starting Friday night, M’s general manager Justin Hollander provided injury updates before the 6:40 p.m. game against the Chicago Cubs to members of the media at T-Mobile Park.

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Here’s what Hollander had to say about seven players currently trying to make their way back to the team from the injured list.

• Starting pitcher Bryan Woo, who hit the 15-day injured list just prior to the regular season with right elbow inflammation, could go out for a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma next week. Hollander said he threw an “up-down” bullpen Friday, meaning he pitched with a break between to simulate two innings in a game, and would throw a live batting practice next.

“After the live, the next step would be a three-inning rehab assignment,” Hollander said. “… I do believe the plan is something like roughly a 20-pitch up, (then) down, and then another 20-pitch second inning for a live session, and then a three-inning rehab start after that.”

Though Hollander said Woo’s plan is up to the pitching coaches and trainers, he thinks Woo would likely make two rehab starts in the minors before being activated by the Mariners.

• Perhaps the most positive report from Hollander was regarding relief pitcher Matt Brash, who was shut down early last month during spring training due to right elbow inflammation.

It was known that Brash had thrown a live batting practice session earlier this week, and Hollander said Brash is set to throw another “in the next day or two.” After that, Hollander said the team expects that Brash can begin a rehab assignment with Tacoma around the same time as Woo, which would be around when the big league club heads out on its next road trip following a day game next Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds.

“He felt good after the first (live batting practice),” Hollander said. “He really got after it. I heard it was very good so we’ll see how this one goes in the next couple of days and then we’ll plan from there. But I think if all goes well, safe to assume that he will be in Tacoma as we head out on the road trip.”

• Seattle’s other leverage arm on the 15-day IL, Gregory Santos, is just a little behind Brash as he makes his way back from a lat strain.

“Santos is doing well,” Hollander said. “He’s throwing out to 75 feet right now, the next step would be to 105, and hopefully that’s next week. After that, we would get him on a mound. Again, it’s a progression, we have to be safe. We have to be somewhat conservative so that we don’t push him to the point where we have another setback or something like that, but he is doing well.”

• Sticking with the bullpen, Eduard Bazardo (rotator cuff strain) will throw his first live BP on Saturday.

“He’s doing well. We want to be cautious with it, obviously we’ll see how he feels after the live, but he’s doing well and on track and should throw tomorrow in a live BP setting,” Hollander said.

• One last update on relievers – well, two: Colin Snider (left knee contusion) and Cody Bolton (general medical issue) could both be ready to return as soon as their IL stints hit the required 15 days. Both were placed on the IL Monday.

“Colin’s moving around a lot better, feels good,” Hollander said. “We anticipate him being able to go out on a rehab assignment within the 15 or so days that he’s going to be down. Cody’s feeling better, as well.”

• Finally, utility player Sam Haggerty (personal medical issue) continues to get playing time on a rehab assignment with Tacoma.

“We’re just looking to get Hags some more at-bats. Sam missed almost all of spring training, was really sporadic dealing with a personal medical thing in and out of games,” Hollander said. “So we’ll get him some more ABs in Tacoma on the rehab and then hopefully activate at that point.”

The Seattle Mariners open a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs and a six-game homestand at 6:40 p.m. Friday at T-Mobile Park. As with all M’s games, Mariners Radio Network coverage will be carried on Seattle Sports 710 AM, the Seattle Sports app and SeattleSports.com beginning with the pregame show roughly an hour before first pitch (5:30 p.m. in Friday’s case). For details on how to stream Mariners Radio Network broadcasts from Seattle Sports, click here.

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