Michael Arroyo’s promotion on Sunday had the feel of a team starting to think beyond the present. The Mariners are still alive this season, but with 18 games left and two key players in uncertain shape, the conversation has already started drifting toward 2027.
That’s where Brendan Donovan and Matt Brash come in. Seattle announced Friday that Brash has been shut down because of the inflammation in his right lat, and the news only deepened the concern around a season that has already gone sideways.
Donovan, meanwhile, could still return from the concussion that has kept him out since August 21, but the update on him was that his progress remains only “incremental.” A shutdown is at least a possibility for him, too.
The frustration is obvious because both players were productive when available. Donovan carried a .425 OBP out of the leadoff spot.
Brash was as sharp as ever on the mound, posting a 0.54 ERA. The problem is that those numbers came in tiny samples: 39 games for Donovan, 20 for Brash.
For a team that has needed help badly from both the offense and the bullpen, that’s a brutal break.
There is a version of this story where the Mariners shrug off 2026 as a season wrecked by bad luck and circle 2027 as the year Donovan and Brash finally give them what they were supposed to provide now. In that scenario, good health changes everything.
But that’s not the safest way to plan.
The more realistic approach is to assume the Mariners cannot build next year around either one. Brash’s talent is never the question.
His availability is. He missed all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and even after returning he has appeared in fewer games since then - 73 - than he did in all of 2023, when he got into 78.
Donovan’s concussion is described as a fluke, but his broader injury history is still a concern. Since the start of the 2023 season, he has played in just 64 percent of all possible games.
That means Seattle has to start thinking differently about how it handles the winter.
If Brash can’t be relied on as Andrés Muñoz’s setup man, the Mariners will need another answer. One possibility is an in-house move, including the idea of shifting Bryce Miller from the rotation into relief. Otherwise, the free-agent market offers a few names worth watching: David Bednar, Adrian Morejon, Bryan Abreu and Pete Fairbanks.
Donovan creates a messier puzzle. He could enter the offseason projected at third base or left field, but left field looks more like Arroyo’s long-term home. That leaves third as the more likely fit, even though Donovan’s defense there has been poor and the Mariners seem to prefer using him as a super-utility piece.
The third-base market won’t be deep, so one possible path is bringing back J.P. Crawford and using him only at third, which would make room for Colt Emerson at shortstop.
Seattle could also go the trade route. Matt Chapman.
Max Muncy. José Ramírez.
Those are the kinds of names that come up when the possibilities are thin and the offseason board is wide open.
For now, though, it’s all speculation. Until the season ends and the front office situation becomes clearer, the Mariners are in wait-and-see mode.
And if they do miss the playoffs, the first question won’t just be about roster building. It’ll be about who is even making the calls.
Dan Wilson seems doomed. Jerry Dipoto might be, too.
What this season has made plain is that Seattle cannot simply run it back. If that means lowering the expectations for Donovan and Brash in the process, that’s the reality the Mariners have to face.
In Other News...
Mariners Still Waiting As Brendan Donovan Hits A Recovery Roadblock
Brendan Donovans recovery from the concussion he suffered Aug. 22 in the batting cages has been slower than the Mariners would like, with symptoms such as dizziness and nausea continuing to interrupt his progress through the concussion protocol. Donovan has been monitoring the process with a wearable device, and he confirmed he was not wearing a helmet when the injury occurred, a detail that underscores how routine work can still turn into a long absence.
For Seattle, the latest update from general manager Justin Hollander leaves Donovan still on the shelf and not yet ready to return to play. The Mariners are left waiting on a player whose timeline has been pushed back by a roadblock that is hard to predict and even harder to speed up, especially when concussion symptoms keep lingering instead of clearing. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Fans Have A New Prospect Debate Worth Watching
The Mariners have already moved several top-100 prospects into the majors in 2026, but the next wave is starting to come into focus too. Ryan Sloan, Boston Smith and Jonny Farmelo are the names drawing the most attention now, with each sitting in a different stage of the development track and each carrying a timeline that points toward a possible debut either late in 2026 or sometime in 2027.
What makes the discussion interesting is that there is no official promotion date attached to any of them, only the kind of growing anticipation that comes when a system keeps feeding the big club. Their current minor league performance and overall progress are giving Seattle fans plenty to watch, and the debate now is less about whether these players belong on the radar than which one might be first to force the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Arroyo Just Made Seattles Long Term Question More Urgent
Michael Arroyos call-up gave the Mariners another look at one of the organizations top young bats, and it also sharpened a conversation that had already been lingering in the background. The third-best prospect in Seattles system arrived with a reputation as a strong hitter, which is exactly why the club wanted to see him against big-league pitching, but his defensive profile has always complicated the fit. He has been used mostly in left field, and thats where the Mariners have to decide whether his bat can outweigh the concerns that come with his glove.
For Seattle, the timing matters as much as the talent. Arroyos debut comes with the front office still sorting out how he fits into the long-term picture, and left field is one of the clearest places to watch. Randy Arozarena is getting closer to free agency, so the Mariners are suddenly weighing not just what Arroyo can do right now, but whether he could be part of the answer if the roster starts changing around him. [Read more 🡒]