Seattle Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto delivered a rare run of encouraging injury news Tuesday at the general manager’s meetings in Las Vegas, Nev., with updates on Colt Emerson, Michael Arroyo, Matt Brash and Josh Naylor.
With a lot of the attention around the Mariners tied to bigger-picture offseason talk, the injury front offered something the club and its fans can actually feel good about. Each of the four players got a positive check-in, and all four matter to what Seattle wants to build going forward.
Emerson, the Mariners’ 21-year-old shortstop, had surgery on his left wrist in late August and spent the rest of the season on the shelf. Dipoto said his rehab is moving in the right direction and that there are no concerns. Emerson has not begun baseball activity yet, but he could be close.
Seattle will hope to have him ready for Opening Day, though that depends on whether Opening Day arrives on time amid labor issues.
Before the injury shut him down, Emerson was one of the sport’s top prospects when he got the call. His first run with the Mariners was rough at the plate, as he hit .190 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in 69 games. The strikeouts piled up, too, with 83 in those 69 games.
Arroyo’s update was just as encouraging. The 22-year-old got his first MLB action in September and made the most of a tiny sample, batting .371 with a homer and four RBIs in 35 at-bats.
After the season, he underwent internal brace surgery on his right elbow and is expected to be ready for MLB action by April. The Mariners are expected to use him more in left field next season after Randy Arozarena’s departure, so getting his arm back in shape is a priority. If spring training begins on schedule, he could still get work as a designated hitter while he waits to resume throwing.
Brash, meanwhile, is working his way back from a pair of lat strains in 2026. The second one ended his season in early June.
He has started throwing plyometric balls, but he has not yet moved on to baseballs. That step is expected to come soon.
When Brash was on the mound last season, he was dominant, posting a 3-0 record with a 0.54 ERA in 20 games. He remains one of the biggest pieces in the Mariners’ bullpen, even as the club looks to upgrade that group.
Naylor also came out of the season with a positive report. He had surgery on his right wrist after the season, and Dipoto said he also dealt with discomfort in both shoulders, though he opted not to have surgery on either shoulder.
The first baseman, signed to a five-year deal before last season, hit .261 and finished with 10 home runs. If Seattle is going to bounce back from a 76-86 season, it needs more power from the middle of the order, and Naylor is central to that. He, Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodriguez are expected to continue carrying the lineup.
In Other News...
Mariners Face A Third Base Decision That Could Define Their Offense
The Mariners offseason search for an answer at third base is shaping up as one of the more important roster calls on the board, especially with the club trying to add more offense without losing the defensive stability it has leaned on for years. Teruaki Satos power profile would have made for an obvious fit on paper, but Seattle is expected to look elsewhere as it weighs a broader group of options that includes Eugenio Surez, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa and Brendan Donovan.
What makes the decision trickier is that it is not just about plugging one hole, but about how the infield is going to be arranged around it. The Mariners are trying to balance power, glove work and long-term roster development all at once, and the ripple effects could extend beyond third base as they sort through the next phase of their lineup construction. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Youngs Rise Could Complicate One Intriguing Mariners Fit
The Mariners offseason roster puzzle has already started to take shape around infield versatility, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. is one of the more intriguing names in the mix. Seattle has been sorting through ways to add impact without boxing itself in, and Chisholms recent playing history gives the club a potential multi-position answer if it wants more athleticism and left-handed pop in the lineup.
Cole Youngs rise only adds another layer to that discussion, because every internal step forward changes how aggressively the Mariners can shop outside the organization. Brendan Donovan, Teruaki Sato and Luis Arrez have also surfaced in the broader planning conversation, but nothing has been decided yet, which leaves Seattle weighing fit, cost and flexibility before the market really settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Have Found A Versatile Infield Fix Worth Chasing
The Mariners are still looking for ways to sharpen the infield, and the search appears to be centered on a veteran who can cover more than one spot. Seattle wants help at third base or shortstop, and a player like Mauricio Dubn fits the profile because of his defensive reputation and right-handed bat. For a club that has spent plenty of time trying to tighten things up around the diamond, that kind of versatility has obvious appeal.
Dubn has built his value on being able to move around the field and handle the job without much fuss, which is exactly the sort of profile that can matter late in the offseason. Even so, the Mariners would not be the only team with interest, and the market may ultimately point him back toward Atlanta. Seattle's need is clear, though, and if it is going to make a move to improve the defense, this is the type of player worth keeping on the radar. [Read more 🡒]