The Mariners provided a lefty update today Robbie Ray“Ray, 31, underwent surgery on his left elbow today,” the press release read. “This surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister of TMI Sports Medicine in Arlington, Texas. Surgery for the flexor tendon had already been reported, but reconstruction of the UCL, also known as Tommy John surgery, was not publicly known until today.
In the short term, this news doesn’t change much for the Mariners. The Mariners were already planning to play without Ray for the rest of the year. However, with TJS typically requiring a 14-18 month recovery period, the renewal appears to indicate the club will be missing Ray for even longer, possibly even months into his 2024 season.
This is clearly not welcome news, as Ray has been one of the better pitchers in the league in recent seasons. After some inconsistencies early in his career, he had a great season with the Blue Jays in his 2021. In his 32 starts he posted a 2.84 ERA, a 32.1% strikeout rate, a 6.7% walk rate, and a 37.2% ground ball rate. He won the American League’s Rhino His Young Award and used that performance to sign his five-year, $115 million contract with the Mariners.
His first year in Seattle was a bit of a dip from the previous season, but he still had a lot to like. , scoring a ground ball in 39.2% of clips. This helped the Mariners break through the postseason drought and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2001. Unfortunately, he’ll only get one start this year before going on the disabled list and probably won’t earn another spot until midfield. 2024.
The Mariners should put a strong front 4 in rotation as long as everyone stays healthy. Luis Castillo and Marco Gonzalez Both are still under contract for next year, but both George Kirby and Logan Gilbert He’s still years away from qualifying as a free agent.Final location is a bit uncertain Chris Flexen He’s been struggling and will be a free agent after this season anyway. Bryce Miller Recently called in to start the auditions, The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish reported that it wasn’t just a spot start. That was before Miller made his debut, against the A’s he pitched six innings, allowing only one earned run on two hits, and when he struck out 10, he had no four walks. Staying in the rotation longer anyway, he dominated his first time. It looks like he has a legitimate chance of securing a rotation spot going forward.