Mariners injuries and roster moves

Aug. 28: SS J.P. Crawford (fractured right pinkie) activated from IL; OF Dominic Canzone optioned to Triple-A Tacoma
Sidelined since July 22 with a fracture on the back of his right hand, Seattle’s veteran shortstop went 1-for-6 in two rehab games for Triple-A Tacoma. The initial timeline at the time of the injury was a projected four to six weeks for Crawford, who is returning from his second stint on the IL this season.

Canzone has hit .196 with seven doubles and eight homers in 67 games this year.

Aug. 26: OF Victor Robles (right index finger contusion) out of lineup
The Mariners’ spark plug at the top of the lineup was not among their starting nine for the second straight game, but he was available off the bench for Monday’s series opener vs. the Rays.

Robles was in significant pain after taking a 94.9 mph fastball from Blake Snell off his right hand and fingers when attempting to lay down a bunt in the first inning of Saturday’s 4-3 loss. But it appears that the club has avoided a more significant injury scare, as X-rays came back negative.

Robles immediately fell to the ground down the first-base line and was examined by Mariners head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson, with whom he departed into the home clubhouse shortly after. The Mariners later announced that he was officially diagnosed with a contusion.

Saturday’s issue became the latest for Robles, who’s been dealing with a left hip flexor injury for weeks — one he aggravated last Tuesday at Dodger Stadium when attempting to make a catch at the outfield wall on a homer from Gavin Lux. Robles then missed the following two games before returning on Saturday, which also marked the first time this season that he, Randy Arozarena and Julio Rodríguez were Seattle’s starting outfielders.

Aug. 26: OF/1B Luke Raley (flu-like symptoms) returns to lineup on Monday
One day after he was pulled roughly 20 minutes ahead of first pitch to Sunday’s series finale vs. the Giants due to an illness, Raley was back on Monday vs. the Rays, batting leadoff and playing first base.

RHP Yimi García (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: September
García was slated to report to the club’s extended spring camp the week of Aug. 26, where he’ll begin throwing after sustaining the injury during his most recent outing on Aug. 19 at Dodger Stadium. García told the Mariners’ athletic training staff that the issue felt similar to the one that landed him on the IL in June when he was still with the Blue Jays but that it’s not as significant. Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said that the club doesn’t have a timeline on García’s return, but that he’s hopeful he could be back at some point during the season’s final month. (Last updated: Aug. 26)

RHP Gregory Santos (right biceps inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
Santos has transitioned his rehab to the Mariners’ Spring Training facility in Arizona, where he’s begun throwing again. Mariners general manager Justin Hollander recently said that the club doesn’t “have any reason to believe there’s a kinetic chain issue” between Santos’ latest injury and the right latissimus dorsi strain that he suffered in spring and forced him to miss over three months. But the club nonetheless doesn’t have a timeline on if the flamethrowing reliever will return before season’s end. Santos exited his most recent outing on July 31 in Boston with the biceps injury. After making his Seattle debut on July 9, he allowed only one run in his first three appearances but quickly ran into injury trouble again. On July 24, he left after two-thirds of an inning with pain in his right knee. He then took a week off before returning and hurting his biceps in his first game back. (Last updated: Aug. 26)

RHP Matt Brash (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: June 2025
Brash, who underwent Tommy John surgery on May 8, was slated to rejoin the Mariners in Seattle during the second week of September, at which point he’ll be able to ramp up his throwing program more. It will be his second visit with the club, after joining his teammates in early August to work with the club’s high-performance staff and connect with pitching coach Pete Woodworth and director of pitching strategy Trent Blank. Brash’s surgery ended his 2024 season, three months after initially experiencing soreness during his second bullpen session in Spring Training. Brash had the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow repaired and a brace installed, which has typically allowed patients to begin physical therapy sooner. That’s why the Mariners are hopeful Brash can return in 12 months, potentially as soon as June 2025. (Last updated: Aug. 26)

OF/UTL Sam Haggerty (torn right Achilles)
Expected return: May 2025
Haggerty tore his right Achilles on May 18, in his second game after getting optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma, and he underwent surgery with Dr. Albert O. Gee at the University of Washington the following week. He then departed for Arizona shortly after to transition his recovery there. Before leaving Seattle, Haggerty mentioned in passing that his timeline would be around 12 months if all goes well with his subsequent rehab. (Last updated: June 12)

RHP Jackson Kowar (right UCL surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Kowar was transferred to the 60-day IL shortly after receiving word that he would need to undergo Tommy John surgery, which ended his season before it even began. The former first-round Draft pick was among the leading candidates to win a bullpen spot before suffering the injury in his second Cactus League outing. (Last updated: March 10)

SS Felnin Celesten (season-ending left hamate surgery); No. 5 on Mariners’ Top Prospects list, No. 72 overall
Celesten underwent the surgery shortly after the All-Star break after experiencing multiple setbacks with a left wrist injury. After further inspection, doctors discovered that the prolonged pain was related to an old injury to his hamate. But Mariners general manager Justin Hollander recently said that Celesten could begin baseball activities in early September.

“When we went and did the imaging after his first setback, they noticed the remnants of an old injury in there,” Hollander said. “They didn’t know whether it would prevent him from building back up and playing, or if it was just going to continue to linger. When he felt pain again, the doctor recommended we just remove the remnants of the old hook of the hamate fracture.”

The development ended Celesten’s season due to an injury for the second straight year, after he was sidelined at the end of 2023 with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He wound up playing in 32 games in ’24, all at the Arizona Complex League, where he slashed .352/.431/.568 (.999 OPS) with three homers, four triples, 10 doubles, five stolen bases, 27 RBIs, 18 walks and 28 strikeouts in 144 plate appearances. (Last updated: Aug. 26)

RHP Teddy McGraw (arm tightness); No. 14 on Mariners’ Top Prospects list
The 2023 third-round pick was slated to meet with Dr. Keith Meister at the end of August, after experiencing tightness in his pitching arm during an Aug. 22 outing for Single-A Modesto. The 22-year-old has already undergone Tommy John surgery twice, which itself creates more elevated concern. (Last updated: Aug. 26)