Mariners Roster Move: A bullpen shuffle due to appendicitis

The Seattle Mariners have shuffled their bullpen once again, this time for a different reason than you usually see.

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Ahead of a three-game weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Mariners have placed veteran right-hander Trent Thornton on the 15-day injured list, calling rookie right-hander Troy Taylor back up from Triple-A Tacoma to take his place.

Thornton’s ailment: appendicitis.

The placement of Thornton on the IL is retroactive to May 6, as he last pitched on May 5.

The 31-year-old Thornton was a key part of Seattle’s bullpen in each of the last two seasons. In 2023, he came to the Mariners from the Blue Jays in a deal a few days ahead of the trade deadline, and he shined with a 2.08 ERA, 1.077 WHIP and 21 strikeouts to five walks over 23 appearances (26 innings).

Thornton was maybe the most reliable piece of the relief staff in 2024, leading the M’s with 71 appearances (72 1/3 innings) while posting a 3.61 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 77 strikeouts to 19 walks.

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The start to the 2025 season hasn’t gone as well for Thornton, however. In 16 appearances (15 1/3 innings), he has a 5.87 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 11 strikeouts to four walks. He’s provided helpful length out of the bullpen in his two most recent outings, though, going two scoreless innings against the Athletics on May 5, which came three days after throwing 1 2/3 perfect innings on May 2 at Texas.

The 23-year-old Taylor has been up and down between the Mariners and Tacoma this season after beginning the year on the injured list with a right lat strain. He has appeared in four games (three innings) with the M’s to the tune of a 12.00 ERA and 2.00 WHIP, and another nine in Triple-A where he has a 7.36 ERA and 1.77 WHIP over 7 1/3 innings.

Taylor had an impressive 2024, rising from the High-A Everett AquaSox to the point that he was being used in key leverage spots out of the Mariners bullpen down the stretch. He finished last season with a 3.72 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 25 strikeouts to seven walks over 21 appearances (19 1/3 innings) after being called up to the Mariners in mid-August.

The AL West-leading Mariners (22-14) open their series against the Blue Jays (17-20, third in the AL East) at 6:40 p.m. Friday, with radio coverage on Seattle Sports starting at 5:30 with the pregame show.

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