Matt Brash returns to throwing after injury scare, but Mariners won’t rush rehab process

PEORIA, Ariz. – Matt Brash remained positive when many around him feared the worst – season-ending Tommy John surgery. He didn’t believe there was anything seriously wrong with his right elbow. He never felt a pop or traumatic pain while throwing.

But he’d also never experienced the sort of tightness in his arm when throwing a baseball. Given how hard he throws, how often he fires sliders and how much he pitched last season, doubts would’ve been understandable.

“You never really know, especially with the elbow,” he said. “I haven’t really had elbow stuff before.”

The thought of being sidelined for an extended period of time, let alone a season wasn’t something to contemplate or consider.

In the end, his intuitions proved correct. After multiple orthopedic surgeons looked at his scans and examined his elbow, it was determined he didn’t need surgery. His season wasn’t over before it started.

“It’s been a lot of ups and downs and just was really unsure what was going on,” he said. “I was just taking it day by day and waiting to see what the experts said. Deep down, I kind of knew that it wasn’t as bad as maybe some other people thought it was.”

Diagnosed with medial elbow inflammation, Brash began the step-by-step process of returning to the mound, and eventually the Mariners bullpen on Tuesday morning.

With athletic trainers watching closely, Brash played catch for the first time since being shut down from throwing on Feb. 21. He made 25 controlled throws from 60 feet.

“I kind of have to temper my expectations,” he said. “I was just really curious how it was going to feel out there, but it felt good. I was just happy to be back on the field and be a part of the team.”

Brash called the short throws “very smooth.”

He will take a day off and then play catch again Thursday.

“They’ll ease me back into it,” he said. “Then after the first couple of weeks, they’ll ramp me up pretty quick.”

He first started feeling some tightness in the elbow when he arrived at spring training. It would subside at times but never really go away.

“It just got a little tight on me,” he said. “It was a different feeling. It really wasn’t that bad. I still threw my bullpen and the velocity was fine. It was just lingering, so I went to get it checked out.”

After throwing a bullpen on Feb. 20, Brash felt tightness to the point of discomfort. The Mariners immediately shut him down and began to go through tests on the elbow. He also traveled to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to meet with Dr. Keith Meister, who specializes in arm issues.

“I’ve been pretty lucky in my career with my arm and just injuries in general,” he said. “It was just something new that I hadn’t felt before so just really had to go get it checked out. That’s why I went to Dallas to get it looked at. It feels really good right now and it’s felt good for the last week or so.”

Brash, who turns 26 in May, led the Mariners with 78 relief appearances in 2023, posting a 9-4 record with four saves and a 3.06 ERA. In 70⅔ innings, he struck out 107 batters with 29 walks. With his ability to generate swings and misses, he was a valuable setup reliever in late innings.

Manager Scott Servais didn’t watch Brash’s catch session and knows that the young right-hander isn’t part of the team’s immediate plans. The Mariners want Brash to take his time to build up and get ready.

“I don’t need to,” Servais said. “He’s so far away. We’ll see how he feels today. I will let the trainers tell me where he’s at. I know he’s excited from where we were maybe a few days ago to now where he gets a chance to play catch and build up.”

Brash understands that he won’t be ready for opening day and that his importance to the team is in the weeks and months after.

“I think the biggest way for me to contribute is just to be healthy on the field,” he said. “However long that takes, it kind of is what it is. They’ve been very open with me. I want to get back soon as possible, too. But we are going to do that in the healthiest way. Whatever the trainers and rehab guys want me to do, I’m just going to follow their plan and get back healthy and on the field.”