Mariners Notebook: Awaiting Victor Robles appeal, injury updates
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 01: Emerson Hancock #26 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the game against the Kansas City Royals at T-Mobile Park on July 01, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Kansas City Royals won 6-3. (Alika Jenner)
SEATTLE - After a brutal 2-7 road trip, the Seattle Mariners return home Friday night against the Athletics as they attempt to get back on track.
Prior to the opening game of the series, general manager Justin Hollander gave a rundown on a handful of injuries for the Mariners, the status of Victor Robles, and a possible development for their bullpen happening in Tacoma.
First, the update on Robles…
The Mariners are still awaiting the status of Robles' appeal of his 10-game suspension that was announced by MLB this week for his actions in a game against the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate, Las Vegas, on Sunday.
"Unfortunately, no update on that," Hollander said. "Appeal still pending. This is sort of a Victor, the league and the Players' Association and we're just a bystander on that. Would obviously love to get clarity sooner, rather than later on what that looks like.
"Right now, what we know is 10 games will start when he's activated from the IL."
Robles was suspended for 10 games by MLB for throwing a bat toward pitcher Joey Estes, and throwing a container of sunflower seeds onto the field after being ejected. Robles was hit twice by Estes in the at-bat, and it was the fourth time he was hit by Las Vegas pitchers in the series since beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma.
Estes also hit Robles with a pitch in the majors last year when pitching for the Oakland Athletics.
Ironically, the Athletics called Estes up ahead of their series with the Mariners this weekend.
Robles continues to play with Triple-A Tacoma while his appeal is pending. He's appeared in seven games and is hitting .292 with seven hits, three doubles and six RBI with no walks and eight strikeouts in 24 at-bats.
"He's doing great. Feels great throughout. So he's doing well on the rehab aspect of it," Hollander said.
Robles has been out since April 7 after suffering a left shoulder dislocation catching a ball into a net against the San Francisco Giants.
The 10-game suspension would begin the moment the Mariners choose to activate him and the team has to play down a man for the duration of the suspension. Rosters expand by two players on September 1, which would give Seattle some additional roster flexibility to absorb the suspension for however long it remains after appeal.
The Mariners can call up two position players, or one position player and one pitcher, as part of the roster expansion. They cannot add two pitchers to the roster, per MLB rules.
Injury Updates
– Outfielder Dominic Canzone is expected back in the lineup soon as he's been out of action the last four days after taking a pitch off his left hand on Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.
"I heard that Dom is feeling better today," Hollander said. "He would like to get back in there, if not tonight, tomorrow. So he's doing great. Everything checked out, so we'll see him back in the lineup this weekend at some point."
Canzone wasn't in the lineup Friday night. Manager Dan Wilson said they'd see how he made it through batting practice to see if he'd be available off the bench against the Athletics.
– Starting pitcher Logan Evans had a cortisone shot in his right elbow to address elbow inflammation coming out of his last start against the Baltimore Orioles on August 15.
Evans had a collision covering home play in the game, but Hollander said the issue surfaced with a pitch he made in the first inning.
"He felt it on a pitch, I think, in the first inning of the game. I think he said it was a change-up," Hollander said. "It just started to feel a little uncomfortable. He went and he got it checked out the next day, there was some inflammation in the elbow. Hoping that the cortisone can calm it down again. He's feeling better already."
Hollander said Evans is expected to resume a throwing program in the next few days.
"However long he's down without throwing is how long, roughly, it takes to build back up. So hopefully get that going in the next couple days to allow him to minimize the downtime."
– Right-handed reliever Gregory Santos is throwing "competitive bullpens" at the team's spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz.
Santos had surgery to address a knee injury that has kept him out of action since late April.
"Had a really good week last week," Hollander said.
Santos is closing in on a rehab assignment with the hope he could re-join the bullpen some time in September.
"Depending on how long it takes (on the) rehab assignment in terms of how he's feeling, how he responds to ramping up days of rest, things like that."
Hollander stated Santos' timeline is in pencil, but the target for him being ready for the Major Leagues would be mid-September.
– Infielder Ryan Bliss was with the team and went through on-field workouts prior to the game. He's been out since April 9 when he sustained a torn left biceps making a swing. Bliss is nearing a rehab assignment.
"He will probably start one next week," Hollander said. "Anticipate the same kind of rehab assignment where we've talked about for Victor Robles in the 40-50 plate appearance range, depending on how it goes. Very good news on Ryan and where he's at. Excited for him to get back on the field in a competitive environment."
Santos has appeared in just 16 games in two seasons for Seattle since being acquired in a trade with the Chicago White Sox. He has a 5.02 ERA with eight earned runs allowed in 14 ⅓ innings pitched.
– Right-handed reliever Trent Thornton will continue his rehab from a torn Achilles tendon back home in the Carolinas for the next few weeks. He's out for the rest of the season, but is expected to rejoin the team at some point.
Emerson Hancock working out of the bullpen in Tacoma
Starting pitcher Emerson Hancock had a notable appearance with the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday night as he made a relief appearance out of the bullpen for the first time this season.
Hancock has been purely a starting pitcher for Seattle. His relief outing Wednesday was his first in professional baseball at any level. However, Hollander said that Hancock was willing to give it a shot as a way to help the MLB team with their playoff push this season.
Similarly, Seattle tried converting Logan Evans to the bullpen last year at Double-A Arkansas, but the move didn't stick.
Given the struggles in the Mariners' bullpen this season, particularly recently, it's another possible option to turn to down the stretch.
The team has churned through options such as Collin Snider (now injured), Tayler Saucedo, Casey Legumina, Jackson Kowar and Sauryn Lao with limited success.
Hollander said Hancock continues to see himself as a starter and that he believes he's proven he can do the job at the MLB level, but he was eager to try the bullpen as a way to get back to the majors and help the team this season.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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