The Mariners announced that right-hander Logan Evans has undergone surgery to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in this throwing elbow with an internal brace. They announced his return timeline as 12 months, so he’ll miss the entire 2026 season.
It’s obviously rough news for both the club and Evans himself. The righty made his major league debut last year, tossing 81 1/3 innings for the Mariners, allowing 4.32 earned runs per nine. He struck out 16.9% of opponents faced, gave out walks at an 8.9% clip and induced grounders on 40% of balls in play. Instead of building on that in 2026, he’ll have to sit out the entire season while recovering. He’ll look to get back on track during the 2027 season. He’ll turn 26 in June of that year.
For the Mariners, they have now lost arguably their best optionable depth starter. Seattle has a strong core five in the rotation, including Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller, but things drop off after that. That’s especially true now that Evans is out for the year.
The Mariners acquired Cooper Criswell from the Mets a week ago. He is out of options and projects to be a long reliever to start the season if he’s still on the roster by Opening Day and everyone else is healthy. Without Evans, the optionable starters on the 40-man roster are Emerson Hancock and Blas Castano. Hancock was the sixth overall pick in 2020 but he hasn’t lived up that pedigree with a 4.81 ERA and 15.6% strikeout rate in his career so far. Castano is 27 years old, has just one major league appearance under his belt and had a 5.19 ERA in Triple-A last year.
In terms of non-roster depth, lefty Jhonathan Díaz was outrighted this week but his transactions tracker at MLB.com indicates he elected free agency yesterday. That leaves Randy Dobnak, Dane Dunning and Casey Lawrence as non-roster options with some big league experience. Switch-pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje is on the way but isn’t a near-term option since he hasn’t yet reached Triple-A and only has seven starts at the Double-A level. Perhaps the Evans surgery will lead the Mariners to add some more depth in the coming weeks.
Evans finished the 2025 campaign on optional assignment, so the Mariners could keep him there throughout 2026. Calling him up and placing him on the major league 60-day injured list would allow them to open up an extra 40-man roster spot but that would involve giving Evans a full year of big league pay and service time.
Photo courtesy of Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images
dang
Wow. That came out of no where. He must have gotten injured in off season workouts? Or perhaps the IL stint that he had with elbow inflammation in August continued? I know that he come off of the IL in mid August. This hurts. Your depth is Emerson Hancock? Is Sloan ready? Kade A. has not pitched in quite a while after being drafted and is on a pitch count…. Does this make the M’s more reluctant to trade Cijntje? Ouch.
Definitely a bummer and if I had to guess: it happened very recently in the offseason.
I don’t think we were gunna trade Cijntje anyways with how late in the offseason it is, but we definitely have to keep him now.
I’m sure we’ll sign more SP depth in the coming weeks, but it sucks to lose a solid SP who can be optioned up and down!
Sloan threw 82 innings in A ball last season, of course he’s not ready.
Sloan is far off, Jurrangelo and Kade may come in 2026, Emerson is likely going to be a reliever this year
I would still trade Cjintje if it meant getting B. Donovan. Seems like that has been on the table for a while now and we need another bat, Especially a lead off hitter who gets on base and sets the table. We have the farm system to trade from to get a proven SP if need be if there are injuries to our rotation during the upcoming season. (knock on wood)
I would also do this. Leadoff hitter > SP depth (even if Cijntje turns into something better down the line)
I guess it’s a good thing that Jhonathan Diaz made it through waivers!
(I’m sure Dane Dunning, Crispin, and other new folks will constitute the sixth starter depth this year.)
Those names are scary thoughts and options.
Um. Oh. I. Have. Almost. No. Words. This. Is. Very. Surprising.
Who cares he sucks anyway.
Even mid-surgery he’s better at every facet of baseball than you are, were, or could ever be.
Logan Evans.
@Cubs How horrible. What an awful thing to say. Be a better person. Happy Friday.
Cubs comment, reported. Agree
Looks like the Ms knew a little earlier bc they started acquiring depth SP pieces
I’m sure the Red Sox would trade them Jordan Hicks for $10 McDonald Gift Card.
Oh &@%#”÷%@”#%%#”-
Looking at lottery tickets, John Means is currently a free agent. Jose Urquidy, too. Emerson Hancock is better off moving to the pen. It’s either that, a bunch of “bullpen days,” or hope to get 32 starts from all 5 guys, like that’s going to happen.
Yes, I agree and I think everyone knows he will start out there but if needed, he could move back into the rotation if he is the best option.
Hate to see it happen to a yinzer.