The Mariners received a welcome bit of bullpen news Tuesday: closer Andrés Muñoz’s right knee showed no major damage on an MRI, leaving open the chance that he could be back on the mound as soon as Seattle’s game against Houston.
Key takeaways
- Muñoz’s MRI found no structural concern in the right knee that forced him from Sunday’s appearance in Colorado.
- Seattle planned to test Muñoz in a pregame workout before deciding whether he could pitch Tuesday night.
- Brendan Donovan will not return during the final homestand after his Aug. 22 concussion.
- Emerson Hancock may have reached the end of his season, though a late relief appearance remains possible.
- Matt Brash received a platelet-rich plasma injection for a right lat strain and will have an abbreviated offseason routine.
Muñoz could quickly rejoin the late-inning mix
Muñoz was wearing a knee brace before Seattle’s pregame drills, but the club’s early read was encouraging. General manager Justin Hollander said the scan did not reveal anything serious, and there was no single play or moment tied to the discomfort.
The closer has dealt intermittently with soreness in both his hip and knee through the grind of the season. Hollander described it as wear and tear rather than a fresh injury event, a distinction that gave the Mariners reason to believe Muñoz might avoid an injured-list stay.
The concern surfaced Sunday in Seattle’s 2-1 victory over the Rockies in Denver. Muñoz allowed a solo home run to Hunter Goodman, then issued a five-pitch walk to TJ Rumfield. After that walk, his discomfort became more apparent and his outing ended abruptly.
Seattle intended to let the right-hander test the knee before the opener of its two-game set with the Astros. If the workout went cleanly, Muñoz could be cleared to return immediately to a bullpen that has leaned on him in the ninth inning.
Donovan’s first Seattle season ends, while other arms remain in recovery
Donovan will not play again during the regular season. The infielder-outfielder is scheduled to see concussion specialist Dr. Stanley A. Herring at UW Medicine on Wednesday, with the possibility of resuming baseball work shortly after the season—or perhaps even before its close.
Donovan said he has made encouraging progress through ocular therapy and feels substantially better than he did when he discussed the severity of his symptoms two weeks earlier. Even then, the remaining calendar left little realistic path for a return.
The concussion, suffered Aug. 22, limited Donovan to 39 games in 2026. Seattle acquired him in a prominent three-team deal before Spring Training, and the club will retain control of him through next season.
Hancock’s status remains less certain. The right-hander strained his abductor in Toronto three weeks ago, and Seattle could activate him from the 15-day injured list for a possible relief role in the closing days. That decision will depend on whether the club sees a practical benefit in getting him back into a game. The injury is not expected to alter his offseason throwing and training plan.
Brash, meanwhile, recently underwent a platelet-rich plasma treatment in Arizona as he works back from a right lat strain. He will be held below his typical offseason workload until approximately eight weeks after the season concludes.
