Matt

Brash

Brash landed on the injured list on Wednesday with a recurrence of a lat issue that cost him three weeks in May. Wilson didn’t provide any new information, other than that Brash is expected to be out for “awhile”. It’s safe to assume that we won’t see him back in a Mariners’ uniform until after the All-Star break.

Return timelines for shoulder injuries are typically measured in months, not weeks, making this a concerning development for Seattle’s high-leverage mix. The 28-year-old missed nearly three weeks with a lat strain last month. There should be some clarity on his status at some point in the near future. He’ll likely be on the shelf through next month’s All-Star break given the nature of the ailment.

Brash was placed on the injured list at the beginning of May with lat inflammation. It was first thought that he would return as soon as he was eligible, but he wound up taking a few extra days. He should go right back to being a key member of the late-inning committe in Seattle.

Not bad for your first rehab appearance. Brash has been out since late April with lat inflammation, but he threw 9 of his 15 pitches for strikes here, which is great to see. On the other hand, he was sitting 95.1 mph on his sinker, which is over two mph down from where he normally is. We’ll have to watch and see if the velocity ticks back up in his next rehab outing.

Brash is only expected to require one or two tune-ups at the Triple-A level before he’s cleared to rejoin the Mariners’ bullpen. Expect to see him back with the big league club before the weekend is through.

Brash figures to jump back into Seattle’s bullpen mix when first eligible to be activated later this week. The 27-year-old high-leverage specialist hit the shelf back in late April with lat inflammation.

The Mariners’ medical staff reviewed his MRI and decided it would be best to sit him down for another week or so to make sure the issue calms down rather than rushing him back and risk further aggravation. Josh Simpson was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move to take his place in the M’s bullpen.

There doesn’t appear to be any significant issue at play here, though the M’s are still determining whether or not Brash will require a trip to the injured list. Either way, it sounds like he shouldn’t be looking at any sort of extended absence, which is obviously very encouraging.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said afterwards that Brash will pulled out of an abundance of caution after feeling some side discomfort. He’ll undergo imaging to determine whether he’s dealing with anything more serious. He’s presumably day-to-day heading into Friday’s series opener against the Royals.

It’s typically a bad sign when a pitcher departs like this. Brash threw just two pitches in the eighth inning during Wednesday’s relief outing against the Twins before departing. The hope here is that his departure was merely out of an abundance of caution given his injury history. There should be an update on his status following the contest.