BREAKING: Mariners reliever Matt Brash makes spring training roster move yet in return from injury
Matt Brash’s spring training cap, once a light teal, was soaked with sweat after an afternoon in the Arizona sun. But this wasn’t just from conditioning drills—it was from competition, the best kind of sweat for a baseball player.
“Yeah, it’s the good kind,” Brash said.
A large crowd, including fans, front office members, and pitching coaches, gathered around Field 2 at the Mariners complex to watch Brash take a significant step in his recovery from season-ending elbow surgery. For the first time since April of last year, he stepped onto a mound to face live hitters, throwing his first live batting practice session since undergoing the Tommy John brace procedure in May.
“It’s always better when you’re on the game mound,” Brash said. “There’s more energy, everything feels smoother, and I even got my adrenaline going for the first time in a while. It was fun.”
That morning, he felt a bit of nervous excitement—something he hadn’t experienced during his routine bullpen sessions.
Matt Brash’s very controlled live BP. No swinging and no letting it loose with the FB pic.twitter.com/hdEE9sPiuP
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) March 12, 2025
“I was a little nervous, honestly,” he admitted. “Not because I was worried about how I’d feel physically, but because of the anticipation. It’s like game day—you don’t eat as much, and you’re just ready to go. It was really cool to have that feeling again.”
When was the last time he felt that way?
“Not since the 2023 season,” Brash said. “That’s the feeling you want as a player—that mix of nerves and excitement before you compete.”
His session wasn’t a typical live batting practice. Hitters Ryan Bliss and Luke Raley were instructed not to swing, and coaches wanted Brash to focus on his mechanics rather than max effort. The goal was to transition from bullpen sessions to a game mound gradually, keeping his fastball velocity—both four-seam and two-seam—around 93-94 mph while refining his breaking pitches.
Brash’s fastballs hit that target range, with his last few reaching 95 mph, drawing praise from Mariners staff. But it was his slider and knuckle curve that impressed the most. His command and feel for them were unexpectedly sharp, and the spin rates matched his 2023 numbers—a great sign for his progress.
“I threw them for strikes early, then worked them in two-strike counts,” Brash said. “I bounced my curveball at the back foot, and I landed a good slider down and away to a righty. My slider feels great—it’s coming out nicely, and the velocity is solid.”
Matt Brash’s very controlled live BP. No swinging and no letting it loose with the FB pic.twitter.com/hdEE9sPiuP
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) March 12, 2025
Despite his competitive nature, Brash stayed controlled, following the training staff’s plan. He understands this is just one step in a long recovery process.
“I wasn’t going full throttle, but I was letting it go a little,” he said. “I wasn’t throwing 100 or anything, but I was giving it a good effort. Next time, I think I’ll be closer to full speed, and I’m looking forward to that.”
What’s next?
If he recovers well, Brash could either throw another bullpen session to push his velocity or face hitters again in a more competitive live BP.
“I’m not sure yet,” he said. “I hope the next step is getting into more game-like situations and ramping things up.”
Brash vs. Luke Raley — two PAs pic.twitter.com/DVQ0EhmkTW
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) March 12, 2025
Roster Moves
The Mariners made several cuts to trim the MLB camp roster, reassigning the following players to minor league camp:
- Colt Emerson, SS
- Lazaro Montes, OF
- Austin Kitchen, LHP
- Sauryn Lao, RHP
- Casey Lawrence, RHP
Emerson (the Mariners’ top prospect) and Montes (ranked No. 2 per MLB Pipeline) will both play in Friday’s Spring Breakout Game in Goodyear and are expected to start the season with High-A Everett.
Also…
Mariners GM Justin Hollander had some fun with broadcaster Rick Rizzs after he was hit in the head by a foul ball during Monday’s game in Maryvale. For Wednesday’s broadcast, a new Mariners catching helmet and mask were placed in the booth for Rizzs to wear.
Always a good sport, Rizzs initially wore both but opted to keep just the helmet on to avoid obstructing his view.