Report: Mariners shut down Matt Brash for rest of season

The Seattle Mariners reportedly won’t get the much-needed return of reliever Matt Brash this season.

The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish reported Friday that an MRI Brash had the day prior showed additional inflammation in his right lat that will result in the right-hander being shut down from throwing for the next eight weeks. Divish added the MRI revealed no structural damage and the hope is Brash will be able to start an offseason throwing program on a normal schedule.

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This is the second time in three seasons Brash has missed an extensive amount of time due to injury. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 and missed all of that season. Over the past three years, he’s appeared in 73 games – five less than his single-season total in 2023.

Brash underwent the MRI on Thursday after experiencing tightness following a bullpen session in Boston earlier this week. General manager Justin Hollander on Thursday said soreness had become a “recurring theme” with Brash’s right lat over the past two weeks while he was attempting to work his way back from a right lat strain suffered in June.

The news that Brash won’t return this season is a tough blow to the M’s as they sit six games back of first place in the American League West and 4 1/2 games back of the AL’s final wild-card berth with 21 games left to play entering Friday.

Prior to landing on the injured list in June, which was Brash’s second IL stint this year, the right-hander was having a standout start to his season as a key member of the backend of Seattle’s bullpen. In 20 appearances, he had a 0.54 ERA and 0.84 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and only one earned run allowed over 16 2/3 innings.

The Mariners’ bullpen has struggled since Brash and right-hander Cooper Criswell (who returned on Aug. 31) both suffered injuries June 8.

Before the injuries to Brash and Criswell, the bullpen’s 3.18 ERA was fourth in baseball. But in the games since, the bullpen has a 5.77 ERA, the second-worst mark in the league.

A closer look shows Mariners reliever have particularly struggled in the seventh and eighth innings since Brash’s injury, which are innings he would typically cover. Prior to the injury, Seattle relievers had the third best ERA in the seventh and eighth innings at 2.96. But since Brash has been out, the Mariners’ bullpen has a 7.26 ERA is the seventh and eighth innings, the worst mark in baseball by nearly a full run.

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