Key Mariners reliever Troy Taylor begins rehab assignment

Hard-throwing reliever Troy Taylor took another important step toward returning to the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen.

Last year’s first-rounder, several top prospects to start season in Everett

After missing all of spring training with a right lat strain, Taylor began his rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday and threw 19 pitches in the Rainiers’ 7-1 loss to the Reno Aces. The 23-year-old right-hander sat at 96 mph with his four-seam fastball and topped out at 97.9 mph. At the MLB level last season, his four-seamer averaged 97.0 mph, according to Baseball Savant.

Taylor allowed a two-run homer and four hits in two-thirds of an inning, but also struck out Arizona Diamondbacks top prospect Jordan Lawler on four pitches.

Taylor, a 12th-round draft pick out of UC Irvine in 2022, rapidly rose through the Mariners’ farm system before making his MLB debut last August. He then quickly emerged as a key bullpen arm for Seattle, posting a 3.72 ERA with 25 strikeouts and seven walks over 19 1/3 innings of relief down the stretch.

Taylor is one of two potential big-time reinforcements who could be nearing a return to the Mariners’ bullpen. The other is fellow hard-throwing right-hander Matt Brash, who had a standout 2023 campaign before undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2024 season. A rehab stint is also just around the corner for Brash, Seattle manager Dan Wilson said on Sunday.

“We’re not trying to rush them,” Wilson said. “Definitely want to be ready to go when they get back, and we’ll just assess as we go – how it looks at the time. But definitely want to give these guys the opportunity to get healthy and be ready to go when they get back here.”

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