One of the Seattle Mariners’ greatest offseason signings is about to make his long-awaited season debut.
Mariners Breakdown: Struggles Continue in Rough Homestand
The Mariners removed hard-throwing reliever Gregory Santos from the 60-day disabled list on Monday afternoon, completing the 24-year-old right-hander’s recovery from a right lat strain suffered during spring training. Santos was supposed to be a key member of Seattle’s bullpen after being acquired in a February 3 trade with the Chicago White Sox, but he missed the first half of the season due to several setbacks in his rehabilitation.
The move comes before of a six-game Southern California road trip prior to the All-Star break. The Mariners begin a two-game set against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night before traveling to Anaheim for a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Santos might be a valuable addition to Seattle’s bullpen, bridging the gap between the team’s top starters and standout closer Andrés Muñoz. Matt Brash, the Mariners’ hard-throwing reliever, has been out of action all season due to Tommy John surgery. They are also without lefty reliever Gabe Speier, who has been out since the beginning of June with a rotator cuff issue.Last year, Santos had a 3.39 ERA with 66 strikeouts and 17 walks in 66 1/3 innings with the White Sox. He made a combined five games with the San Francisco Giants in 2021 and 2022 before being transferred to Chicago in December 2022.
Santos tossed two scoreless innings in two rehab appearances at Triple-A Tacoma and High-A Everett in the last week. He struck out two of the seven batters he faced and gave up only one hit.
In a matching move, the Mariners optioned right-handed starter Emerson Hancock to Triple-A Tacoma. Hancock, 25, was called up to start Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays since No. 5 starter Bryan Woo is on the injured list with a hamstring issue. Hancock pitched four innings, giving up two runs and six hits.
In addition, Mariners reserve catcher Seby Zavala passed waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Tacoma. Seattle designated him for assignment on Saturday.
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