Andrés Muñoz’s season is over.
The Mariners put their closer on the 15-day injured list Friday before their game against the Angels, ending his year because of right knee inflammation that first popped up last weekend in Denver. Seattle had already been eliminated from the American League West race on Thursday, but the move still closed the book on a frustrating finish for Muñoz.
Right-hander Troy Taylor was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma in the corresponding move.
Muñoz showed discomfort in the knee on Sunday at Coors Field and left after checking in with manager Dan Wilson and assistant athletic trainer Kevin Orloski. After the team got back to Seattle, he had imaging done, and general manager Justin Hollander said it showed “nothing serious, nothing structurally concerning.”
Even so, Muñoz had not been available over the next three games, including Wednesday’s 10th-inning win over the Astros, when he likely would have been an option in more than one spot.
The injury puts a rough cap on an uneven 2026 season for the Mariners’ closer. He finished with a 4.24 ERA and 28 saves in 61 appearances, a sharp drop from his All-Star form in 2024 and 2025. Muñoz also matched Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan for the major league lead with 10 blown saves.
There were still flashes of the dominant arm Seattle has leaned on in the past. Muñoz struck out 37.1% of the batters he faced, his best rate since 2022. But the walks piled up too, as his 10% walk rate sat above the MLB average of 8.9% and helped fuel a 1.22 WHIP and a .667 OPS against.
For a Mariners club that has dealt with plenty of issues in a rough season, Muñoz’s struggles stood out because of how dependable he had been before. The bullpen’s problems were part of that bigger mess, and the group has given up 39 home runs since the All-Star break, tied with Washington for the most in baseball. Five of those came off Muñoz, who finished with a career-high nine homers allowed.
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