Brash ramps up return from surgery with emphasis on breaking balls

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Dan Wilson called Harry Ford over shortly after the bullpen session ended on Saturday, and the Mariners manager asked the club’s top catching prospect how it went. Moments earlier, while it was still underway, a batter asked Ford about the shapes to the breaking balls he was catching.

“Dude, he’s got like the nastiest slider in the league,” Ford said.

The subject of those confabs was Matt Brash, the hard-hurling spin specialist who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season.

Saturday’s session was Brash’s second of Spring Training but far more deliberate than any he’s thrown since undergoing the procedure last May -- one in which he was throwing more breaking balls to further challenge his arm.

Over roughly 20-25 pitches, most were sliders and curveballs, but he did mix in a few fastballs, too, at an exertion not close to what he’ll be at when he returns -- with a target date of late April to early May.

“I haven't put too much effort into them so far, so it was nice to get off the mound and actually see the shape and all that,” Brash said. “But yeah, it feels good. I feel like some days are more off-boot focus, and others are more seeing where my velo is, that kind of thing. So it's kind of feeling it through the process there, but it was nice.”

Brash is balancing the competitive urgency to let things rip with the patience of not rushing this elongated and mentally draining process. By design, his fastball velocity was in the high-80s. The next major benchmark will be throwing a live batting practice at some point this spring, though he’s not expected to pitch in Cactus League games.

“There's no point [in pushing it] right now,” Brash said. “Obviously, I would love to be up there and guys are throwing live at-bats today and doing all that. But I get it. It’s been a long throwing program over last summer and into this year, so I'm not going to push it. I know I'll be back soon, and I'm not going to miss too much of the year anyways.”

At this time last year, when only pitchers and catchers were in camp, Brash began experiencing tightness in his forearm that began a nearly three-month process of attempting to work through before finally succumbing to surgery.

He was shut down in February then visited renowned orthopedic specialist Keith Meister, who discovered what Brash called “minor, basic fraying on my UCL ligament,” which suggested that he might be able to rehab then return. But just as he was to begin a Minor League rehab assignment in late April, he experienced another setback, which led to another meeting with Meister and the decision for surgery.

Throughout last summer, which he spent recovering right here at the Peoria Sports Complex, Brash regularly watched the Mariners, especially games started by good buddies Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo.

“You definitely see your spot come up a lot,” Brash said. “I think it's the hardest part. Just outings that you know you would be in there and doing your thing.”

Santos, Speier looking sharp

Brash wasn’t the only leverage reliever that was sidelined for extended stretches last year, and two such arms -- Gregory Santos and Gabe Speier -- have been among the most impressive in the young stages of camp.

Santos, who pitched in just eight games in ‘24 after dealing with a right latissimus dorsi strain then right biceps inflammation, has been in Arizona for three weeks and drew praise from Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto after a bullpen session on Friday. Santos was one of Seattle’s key trade acquisitions in the 2023-24 offseason.

Speier, who was sidelined from June 1 until July 19 with a left rotator cuff strain then later optioned to Triple-A Tacoma for most of the rest of the year, has been brought up twice by Wilson as a pitcher to watch this spring. Speier was one of the surprise breakout stories in '23.

Taylor cleared to throw

One of the injury replacements last year, rookie Troy Taylor, had been dealing with his own issue to start camp -- a right lat strain -- but he was given the green light to return to throwing on Saturday. In his first taste of the Majors, Taylor quickly earned more trust in leverage situations after Wilson took over in late August.