Injuries & Moves: Robles (left elbow) out of Saturday's lineup
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Sept. 7: OF Victor Robles (left elbow) out of Saturday's lineup
After three hit-by-pitches in a two-day span, the last of which forced him to exit Friday's game three innings after the incident, Robles was sidelined on Saturday against the Cardinals. He said pregame that he was feeling sore but that rest and treatment should help alleviate the issue soon.
"I think he's fine," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. "There's a little more swelling in there today, so we're going to give him the day, and then hopefully, obviously, he'll be assessed tomorrow. Hopefully it's a minor injury."
Robles had just moved back into the leadoff spot, taking over for J.P. Crawford while the shortstop tries to get things going again. But on Saturday, Julio Rodríguez was installed atop the Mariners' order.
Robles was playing through a left hip flexor injury a few weeks back that he reaggravated at Dodger Stadium and forced him to miss two games. Earlier this year, when he was still with the Nationals, he missed a little over a month with a left hamstring strain.
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Gregory Santos (right biceps inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
Santos began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Sept. 6, completing a scoreless eighth inning with one strikeout while flashing his high-90s velocity. It's the first step toward what the Mariners hope will eventually be a return before season's end, especially as they look to make a late playoff push.
Santos has been sidelined since July 31 after suffering the latest injury during an outing in Boston, which forced him to exit the game. He's appeared in only six contests this season, after missing the first three-plus months of the season with a right latissimus dorsi strain that he suffered in spring.
Mariners general manager Justin Hollander recently said that the club doesn't "have any reason to believe there's a kinetic chain issue" between Santos' latest injury and the earlier one. But the club nonetheless hasn't put a timeline on if the flamethrowing reliever will return before season's end -- though beginning a rehab stint is a positive sign. (Last updated: Sept. 7)
RHP Yimi García (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: September
García was slated to report to the club's extended spring camp the week of Aug. 26, where he'll begin throwing after sustaining the injury during his most recent outing on Aug. 19 at Dodger Stadium. García told the Mariners' athletic training staff that the issue felt similar to the one that landed him on the IL in June when he was still with the Blue Jays but that it's not as significant.
Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said that the club doesn't have a timeline on García's return, but that he's hopeful he could be back at some point during the season's final month. (Last updated: Aug. 26)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Matt Brash (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: June 2025
Brash, who underwent Tommy John surgery on May 8, was slated to rejoin the Mariners in Seattle during the second week of September, at which point he'll be able to ramp up his throwing program more. It will be his second visit with the club, after joining his teammates in early August to work with the club's high-performance staff and connect with pitching coach Pete Woodworth and director of pitching strategy Trent Blank.
Brash's surgery ended his 2024 season, three months after initially experiencing soreness during his second bullpen session in Spring Training. Brash had the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow repaired and a brace installed, which has typically allowed patients to begin physical therapy sooner. That's why the Mariners are hopeful Brash can return in 12 months, potentially as soon as June 2025. (Last updated: Aug. 26)
OF/UTL Sam Haggerty (torn right Achilles)
Expected return: May 2025
Haggerty tore his right Achilles on May 18, in his second game after getting optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma, and he underwent surgery with Dr. Albert O. Gee at the University of Washington the following week. He then departed for Arizona shortly after to transition his recovery there. Before leaving Seattle, Haggerty mentioned in passing that his timeline would be around 12 months if all goes well with his subsequent rehab. (Last updated: June 12)
RHP Jackson Kowar (right UCL surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Kowar was transferred to the 60-day IL shortly after receiving word that he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery, which ended his season before it even began. The former first-round Draft pick was among the leading candidates to win a bullpen spot before suffering the injury in his second Cactus League outing. (Last updated: March 10)
MINOR LEAGUE INJURIES
SS Felnin Celesten (season-ending left hamate surgery); No. 5 on Mariners' Top Prospects list, No. 70 overall
Celesten underwent the surgery shortly after the All-Star break after experiencing multiple setbacks with a left wrist injury. After further inspection, doctors discovered that the prolonged pain was related to an old injury to his hamate. But Mariners general manager Justin Hollander recently said that Celesten could begin baseball activities in early September.
"When we went and did the imaging after his first setback, they noticed the remnants of an old injury in there," Hollander said. "They didn't know whether it would prevent him from building back up and playing, or if it was just going to continue to linger. When he felt pain again, the doctor recommended we just remove the remnants of the old hook of the hamate fracture."
The development ended Celesten's season due to an injury for the second straight year, after he was sidelined at the end of 2023 with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He wound up playing in 32 games in '24, all at the Arizona Complex League, where he slashed .352/.431/.568 (.999 OPS) with three homers, four triples, 10 doubles, five stolen bases, 27 RBIs, 18 walks and 28 strikeouts in 144 plate appearances. (Last updated: Aug. 26)
RHP Teddy McGraw (arm tightness); No. 14 on Mariners' Top Prospects list
The 2023 third-round pick was slated to meet with Dr. Keith Meister at the end of August, after experiencing tightness in his pitching arm during an Aug. 22 outing for Single-A Modesto. The 22-year-old has already undergone Tommy John surgery twice, which itself creates more elevated concern. (Last updated: Aug. 26)