Mariners activate reliever Troy Taylor from IL; Matt Brash might not be far behind
SEATTLE – Reinforcements are on the way for a Mariners bullpen that has been stretched thin early in the season.
The Mariners activated Troy Taylor from the injured list Monday morning, and fellow right-hander Matt Brash might not be far behind in his return from Tommy John surgery.
Taylor started the season on the IL with a right lat strain. He made five rehab appearances with Triple-A Tacoma over the past two weeks, with four strikeouts across 3.1 innings.
Taylor, 23, was one of the most pleasant surprises out of the bullpen last season after making his major-league debut in August.
A 12th-round pick out of UC Irvine in 2022, Taylor struck out 25 in 19.1 innings late last season, with a 3.72 ERA and one save. His four-seam fastball averaged 97.0 mph, and he held batters to a .188 batting average and a posted 44.6% whiff rate with his sweeper.
Brash, meanwhile, made his first rehab appearance for Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, allowing one hit with one strikeout in one inning. He threw 19 pitches, 12 for strikes, and topped out at 97 mph.
Brash was one of MLB’s most valuable relief pitchers in 2023, and the combination of a healthy Brash with Andrés Muñoz in the back end of the bullpen offers tantalizing possibilities for late-inning options.
Muñoz, an All-Star in 2024, is off to the best start of his career. He has saves in six of the Mariners’ eight victories through the first two-plus weeks, with no runs allowed, 12 strikeouts and four walks in eight innings.
With George Kirby continuing to build up arm strength in Arizona as he works his way back from shoulder inflammation, uncertainty remains at the fifth spot in the Mariners rotation.
Truncated starts from Emerson Hancock and Luis F. Castillo through the first three turns in the rotation have pushed the M’s bullpen, which has had to cover 65 innings through the first 16 games – the second most in MLB.
The Mariners called-up former Gonzaga standout Casey Legumina on Friday, but he’s yet to play.
The Mariners starting staff led the majors in innings pitched in each of the past two seasons.
So far this season, the M’s bullpen is having to pick up more of the workload – and the relievers responded brilliantly in the 5-1 home stand that concluded Sunday with a series sweep of the Texas Rangers.
The M’s bullpen posted a 1.85 ERA with a .584 OPS against over thehome stand.
Who’s Hot
Andrés Muñoz led the Mariners with a 0.8 bWAR through his first seven appearances of the season. The Mariners’ 26-year-old closer earned his fifth save of the season on Friday, leading the majors in that category. In seven innings, he has not allowed a run, with four hits, 10 strikeouts and four walks (one intentional).
Prospect Watch
Felnin Celesten, the Mariners’ 19-year-old switch-hitting shortstop, had 10 hits in his first 27 at-bats at Low-A Modesto, with a .370/.414/.481 slash line (.895 OPS), one homer, eight RBI, two walks, six strikeouts and one steal (in two attempts). Celesten is one of the Mariners’ nine prospects ranked in the Baseball America Top 100. Switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, playing for High-A Everett, made his debut on the Top 100 this past week (at No. 100).