The Mariners have dealt with a lot of injuries. Most have come from the bullpen, and others come from the infield. Most importantly, these players’ presence has been noticeable this season. And missed a lot of depth in key situations. However, hope has been restored as general manager Justin Hollander provided some updates on their progress. This article will go over some of the updates on these key players and their projected timeline for their return
Andres Munoz
Munoz suffered a muscle strain in his shoulder during the opening series against Cleveland. We are almost in June and he hasn’t been able to start throwing. After a couple of setbacks, things finally changed when Munoz posted on his Instagram story showing him throwing pitches at the Mariners’ spring training complex in Peoria. Munoz told the medical staff this is the best he’s felt since spring. He will likely go on a rehab assignment and hopefully rejoin the team on the upcoming road trip on June 1st-June 11th. Munoz, when healthy, is by far their best bullpen pitcher. His arm-producing 98-100 mph sliders consistently make him one of the elite closers in the game. Although the bullpen as a whole hasn’t missed a beat as they ranked first in almost every statistical category. It would be nice to have him back for high-leverage situations.
Penn Murfree
Murfee was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. This injury occurred on May 3rd in Oakland. He had a Platelet-Rich Plasma shot a week ago and is feeling better. Like Munoz, He will also go on a rehab stint and rejoin the team’s next road trip. Murfee was a late bloomer last season. After being drafted in 2018, he was called up from Tacoma and finally made his big league debut last season at the age of 29. Murfee had a great rookie campaign pitching to a 4-0 record and 2.99 ERA with 76 strikeouts in 69.1 innings of work. Having him back will bring much-needed depth to the bullpen. Without Murfree and Munoz, guys like Trevor Gott and Justin Topa held down the fort as the M’s remained an elite bullpen.
Dylan Moore
The team’s utilityman, unfortunately, had a grade one oblique strain during Spring Training. It looked like he could return in time for the regular season until he experienced some core discomfort in his rehab stint in Everett. After playing only one game with the AquaSox, he was shut down for the next two months. However, Moore returned to Everett in May and has been moved to Tacoma to continue his rehab assignment. There is a chance he might be activated at some point during this 10-game homestand. Moore recently received a contract extension and put up .224/.368/.385 last season, brings defensive versatility, baserunning, and a right-handed bat. His absence became even more glaring with Kolten Wong underperforming. His return is much needed in the lineup.
Northwest Sports Desk 