The Mariners are still holding out hope that Emerson Hancock can get back on the mound before the season ends, but the path back may not look exactly like the one he’s been on all year.
Hancock threw a bullpen Wednesday after going 10 days without throwing off a mound, and he described the session as “normal midweek intensity.” That meant he wasn’t going all-out, but he did work through his full pitch mix. Even with the lighter effort, manager Dan Wilson said Hancock was still feeling the effects of his adductor strain “occasionally.”
Hancock said he felt “all right” after the bullpen, though the issue continues to show up in his landing leg, or plant leg. As he drives down the mound with his left leg, that’s where he can feel the adductor pain. The discomfort doesn’t hit every time, and he said he’s getting better and making progress, but it still flares up from time to time.
“I don’t know what it’s going to feel like. When you’re throwing, when you’re talking about landing leg, you don’t really know what it’s going to do when you put all that force on it.”
That uncertainty is why Hancock’s return is still being handled carefully. He’s been on the IL since August 29 and would be eligible to come back on September 13, which lines him up for the series finale against the Athletics. Even then, he’ll need at least one more bullpen session before he’s cleared, and after missing two weeks he’ll still have to build back up.
The Mariners are also leaving open the possibility that Hancock doesn’t return as a starter. Wilson didn’t rule out using him out of the bullpen for the rest of the season, a move that could get him back sooner while also keeping his innings - and the strain on the muscle - in check.
“Anything’s possible,” said Wilson. “We’re making sure that he’s healthy first for sure, and then we’ll look at understanding how to plug him in and how to get him back, either into the rotation or in a different role. But we’ve got to get him healthy first.”
Hancock said the situation is very much a day-to-day process.
“It’s a day-to-day thing,” said Hancock. “So we’ll just see how we feel tomorrow, and try to do everything we can to keep building this thing up, and hopefully get a chance to come back and pitch.”
He also made clear that he’s trying to keep the bigger picture in mind, even with the disappointment of landing on the IL after a breakout year.
“I think everything we’ve done up to this point has been very very productive…But I have to make sure that I’m also putting our position in a good position to win, as well. So we’re just continuing to work towards that.”
That same team-first tone carried through the rest of Hancock’s comments. He said he loves competing and being around the club, but the rehab process has to be about getting himself ready to give the Mariners the best chance to win.
“At the end of the day, it’s not about me. There’s been some good and there’s been some bad, just personally.
I love competing and I love being with our team, but also, as you’re working through the rehab process, you have to make sure that you’re in a good position to give your team the best chance to win. That’s the focus.
So every day from here on out, it’s like, how can we be able to get to that point?”
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