Mariners right-hander Matt Brash underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times on X, relaying word from general manager Justin Hollander. The righty had his ligament repaired and a brace installed, with the club expecting a return in June of next year, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com on X.
It’s obviously an unfortunate blow for both the Mariners and Brash, as the righty had been so impressive over the past two years. He was a highly-touted starting prospect while climbing through the minors, but a lack of control seemed to be pushing him towards a relief role, which is how things have played out in the majors thus far.
He debuted in 2022 with five starts but had a 7.65 earned run average in those, walking 17.9% of batters faced. He was sent back down to the minors and moved to a bullpen role. He re-emerged with the big league club in July and posted a 2.35 ERA in 30 2/3 innings the rest of the way. His 12.6% walk rate was still on the high side but he was able to punch out 33.9% of opponents.
2023 saw him continue to establish himself as a bonafide big league reliever and even move into a leverage role for the Mariners. He put up a 3.06 ERA last year across 78 appearances. He dropped his walk rate to 9.4% while still getting punchouts 34.7% of the time. He recorded four saves and 24 holds in the process.
Here in 2024, it’s been mostly ominous. It was reported at the end of February that Brash was potentially looking at a lengthy absence, but he was cleared to resume throwing just a few days later. The bad news returned at the end of April when his progress was shut down. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list earlier this week and now the worries of a lengthy absence have come to fruition.
He will now spend the rest of this year and a chunk of 2025 rehabbing from the surgery, forcing the club to proceed without him. Andrés Muñoz is in the closer’s role while pitchers like Ryne Stanek and Gabe Speier lead the setup crew.
Brash came into 2024 with one year and 121 days of service time. That will give him a borderline chance at qualifying for arbitration this winter as a Super Two player. Looking at recent history, that amount of service would have been sufficient three times since 2009, though all three of those occured in the five most recent seasons.
Seems to be more TJS than ever before this year…
MFF: that’s actually accurate, not just your perspective. Last season, 31 MLB players had TJS. In 2022, there were 28.
This year (2024), there have been 13 MLB players to have TJ surgery. That’s on pace for 56 TJ surgeries this season.
When comparing TJ surgeries YTD, in 2023 there were 8 players that had TJ from March 01 through May 10 (although one had surgery on May 11). In 2024, there have been 12 to have TJS in the same time frame.
Sorry, I forgot to note that *does not* include Brash.
I’m surprised driveline isn’t getting more heat.
I wonder if it’s because you have players (like Glasnow) openly admitting that even if places that increase velo, like Driveline, are the cause of injuries, MLB pitchers will still do it in spite of the potential consequences to their health. They may not care.
Yep. The arm surgery is priced in at this point. Pitchers are just hoping the timing aligns with when they need a new contract.
These kids have one small window to make millions playing a game. You don’t think they’re willing to sacrifice the health of their arm for the opportunity to set themself up financially for life? Wouldn’t you be? They know it’s not going to fall off, they know that there’s treatment available for whatever ends up happening to them long term. It’s logical when you think about, even if it’s counterintuitive.
Driveline is not the problem. The problem is MLB continuing to cater the game, the equipment, the park dimensions and rule changes to favour the hitters. Constant tinkering over the last 35 years or so. It has lead to this, and it has lead to the belief that velocity equals success. Driveline is not the first place to point the finger here.
Velocity does equal more success according to data. Driveline teaches how to throw more velocity. More velocity equals more injuries. I’m not saying it’s the only one to blame but they certainly built their brand around it.
It’s about the game itself. Ask yourself, what has changed in the last 35 years other than the average velocity? If you can answer that, you’ve found the problem that’s driving pitchers to the operating table (no pun intended).
Leave driveline alone, for now.
That and 78 appearances in a season for Brash throwing full tilt boogie cheese! Which of course does include spring training and warm ups.
Poisoned, sure. Now, why 78 appearances? Starting pitchers can’t pitch deep anymore, either because of inning limits or unloading max effort. Thus forcing bullpen arms who throw max effort showing up 78 times like Brash.
You make a good point and we could see MLBPA push for 28-man roster. That’ll make 60 more players pulling in over 700k.
You’re telling me to not believe my own eyes and the data. One of the biggest things that’s changed is we went from guys throwing a hundred being an outlier, to guys learning how to throw 100 as a norm. As it relates to arm surgeries that’s the biggest cause.
Dude, he’s so freaking nasty. That slider is unbelievable. Then he’ll put it on your hands at 99 with movement. He is really pushing that skinny body to its limits.
Not saying that at all. Saying to look at ALL changes. Hint: ignore, for now, the changes you see with the pitchers. Look at every other change.
Driveline helps pitchers make less violent/more efficient pitches.
JJ Cooper just wrote a piece detailing how the most durable pitches in baseball were all allowed to pitch deeper into games early in their pro careers. Good stuff.
Perhaps being overly cautious is more of a negative for many young arms.
“IMPROVE YOUR STUFF
Are your pitches as good as they can be? Stuff measures how nasty your pitches are. It’s a mix of velocity and movement. We help you work on both.”
From the driveline website. Nothing about less violence / more efficiency. All about “nasty stuff” which means more movement and velocity.
Having ‘nasty stuff’ doesn’t mean ‘violent’. It’s about the way they deliver.
Seems like now the guy are getting not a TJ and a brace. A brace is essentially a special coated kind of tape that is fastened to the bone to act as the ligament/s and can be done instead of a TJ if the damage is “minor” with way faster recovery. A TJ uses cadaver ligaments or usually ones from somewhere else in your body that replace the damaged UCL. Seems to me they are doing both now and the Brace will act as a strengthening measure hopefully preventing another TJ while also being the first thing to go and therefore preventing another full on TJ in the future. I find it very interesting that it’s been 3 guys now that have had both done this year, I don’t remember seeing this before
Next man up.
Nice of the team doctors to figure this out in mid May when he wasn’t right in March.
“Wasn’t right in March”…Many team doctors are at the top of their medical specialties; maybe they should try working with the same benefit of hindsight(& Monday morning quarterbacking)that you’re using. Everyone’s a genius with the benefit of hindsight.
Sad that today’s pitchers have to use mechanics that are solely velo driven in order to gain attention of the scouts. Look at the stride length in this picture. Twenty years ago you didn’t see this type of movement down the hill. Every single pitch is max effort and I fully don’t understand the mindset knowing that it’s not if I blow out, it’s when I blow out. Has to be a happy medium somewhere that would allow me not to max out every single pitch so that I might gain some longevity in the game without having three T.J. surgeries.
Read Chris O’Leary. chrisoleary.com/ He has got it.
He went from “something’s wrong” to “might be back soon” to “out for 2 years with TJ” lol
^*&%$$@**&%@**%$$%@^**&&^%$@&@((&!!^!*^^%#^$^@
Waiting for the mandatory “it’s the pitch clock’s fault” and the “Trevor Bauer is available” comments.
i think bauer’s playing for the diablo de los rojos in the mexican league. that or the long island ducks of the independent league. i forget which 1. but bartolo colon is ready to jump back into a rotation at a moment’s notice.
And some nut to blame it on the vaccine.
“Sone nut to blame it”…You’re the only one I’ve ever heard blame Tommy John on any vaccine. I’ve heard some whacky comments here on Trade Rumors, but I’ve never heard anyone but you link it to any vaccine.
This isn’t some sort of reverse reverse reverse insane psycology, he was joking (wait do you mean this specific dude said this before)
Yes, I was joking and no. I’ve never said it before.
Baseball needs Bauer more than Bauer needs baseball. Sad reality.
Yes… Bauer is absolutely f*****g available…
When are they finally going to replace that dump of a stadium
You mean safeco? It is literally a top 10 (I’d go as far as top 5 personally) stadium, it has the video boards, the cool lights and marquee in right field, retractable roof but when it’s on it doesn’t feel completely indoors like Houston, my favorite stadium I have been to
Likely no time in the near future as there is nothing wrong with the structural integrity of the stadium nor the aesthetics. The “dump of a stadium” was imploded 25 years ago.
Pretty sure he’s making a joke about that dude who keeps posting about underrated stadiums and then rattles off players names like an idiot savant
That makes more sense
I know a fairly recent Cy Young winner with a 1.96 ERA in Mexico so far this year who they can sign right now for the league minimum…
Only took 5 comments for the first Bauer comment
Besides m’s literally have a full rotation plus Hancock, Bauer has such a high ego I think he would never accept to go into a bullpen
Why would you want to put him in the bullpen when his entire bread and butter is pitching deep into games?
Punching chicks and making annoying YouTube content is his bread and butter
Best pitcher in the world.
They will eventually run out of quality pitchers and will have no choice but to get him and Julio Urias (as soon as he is able to comeback)
When Castillo and Kirby and Gilbert and miller and woo blow their arms out with tj then we’ll talk about Bauer and urias and call Bartolo
Ouch. The Mariners empire is starting to crumble.
Now if Oakland plays the M’s tough and hammers them like the Twins did, I might just give up all hope.
IDK about that. The Astros empire is actually crumbling to pieces, the Angels are the Angels, and the A’s have only just started to solidify a decent roster from their rebuild.
The only thing Mariners have to worry about is play second fiddle to an another Texas team for the fourth consecutive year.
Just don’t let that GB gap get to big and their gold.
Yes, JayKay, but “if” . . .
So let’s see how this series vs a resurgent Oakland team goes.
Off to a good start.
M’s wouldn’t have one of the worst offenses if ownership wasnt cheap
I’m starting to get the feeling that the m’s are going to finish .500 and barely miss the playoffs with these strikeouts and bullpen injuries
They’re dropping like flys. Pitch Clock People !!!
Time for trader Jerry to start making some phone calls for some bullpen help and two big bats he will have to start unloading his prospects… this is their window to win
Ugh
Tommy John is much more famous now than when he pitched.
Comfortable underwear, excellent for your junk
Pitch clock is NOT giving time for any rest – its like lifting weights with hardly a break – muscles will crumble after time..
The pitch clock is the only rule change that correlates directly with the dramatic increase of pitcher injuries including UCL tears. I think there is enough information to at least pause the rule and look at the data.
He’ll be back in time for this year’s playoff run
They used Brash so often, so early last year, I remember commenting that he was on pace for 80 innings….as a reliever. He ended up with around 70 and my fear was that they asked too much of him.
Maybe they were, maybe this was inevitable. Hopefully he returns to form next year, or in 2026.
Getting Santos back healthy will likely be vital for Seattle. For those paying attention, Stanek hasn’t thrown in several days. and they gave him gave him 5 days of rest to start the month.
I believe outlawing sticky stuff hasn’t helped either. When you throw 100mph, you have to grip the ball quite tightly to control it.
Paul Skenes’ future.
Tommy John surgery SUCKS!!(but it’s still better than Mitch Haniger surgery!!) Good Luck Matty!!