It was big news on Saturday when Seattle Mariners reliever Matt Brash returned to the mound for a bullpen session at the Peoria Sports Complex.
Brash missed all of last season after undergoing and recovering from Tommy John surgery, and his return to the Mariners is much-anticipated, considering he’s one of the best bullpen arms in the league. He’s expected to return to the ‘pen by late April or early May.
According to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, Brash is not expected to pitch in Cactus League games, which begin Feb. 21.
Brash is balancing the competitive urgency to let things rip with the patience of not rushing this elongated and mentally draining process. By design, his fastball velocity was in the high-80s. The next major benchmark will be throwing a live batting practice at some point this spring, though he’s not expected to pitch in Cactus League games.
Brash’s bullpen session Saturday focused mostly on breaking balls.
The 26-year-old Canadian is one of the nastiest pitchers in all of baseball, complete with a triple-digit fastball and a wicked slider (when healthy). He went 9-4 in 2023 for Seattle with a 3.06 ERA, and he led baseball in appearances with 78. He made his major league debut in 2022 and made five starts before heading to Triple-A and resurfacing as a dynamite reliever.
The Mariners hope that they can pair him with Gregory Santos and Andres Munoz at the back-end of the ‘pen to give themselves a three-headed monster at the end of a game. Furthermore, an improved ‘pen would likely take some of the pressure off of the starting rotation group, which wouldn’t be forced into going as deep into games.