Seattle, WA
Seattle Mariners' Bullpen Check-In: Good and bad updates
Coming into spring training, it wasn’t hard to make a good guess at what the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen would be heading into the season.
Seattle Mariners Notebook: Prospect debut, latest on Julio
If you did the math, looked at who was returning, the minor-league option situation and specific needs, the picture was clear. Barring injury, there was maybe one spot open. The bullpen all but complete, and a bullpen drawing high marks from the projections.
Oh, how quickly things can change.
Less than a week into full-squad action in Arizona, two-thirds of the back end of the bullpen landed on the shelf due to soreness after early bullpen sessions.
The good news: Gregory Santos appears to be on the mend.
The bad news: the uncertainty on Matt Brash’s situation, with updates being pushed further and further out.
Who could step up in Seattle Mariners’ bullpen?
There should indeed be concern about Brash’s injury as he was set to be a vital part of the Mariners’ bullpen in 2024. It is looking more and more likely another bullpen spot will be open at the beginning of the season, and a few of the competitors – ones that are lesser known but fall into the “bucket” of pitchers who have stuff that perhaps with a tweak or a nudge from the Mariners pitching staff/lab could turn potential into needed production – had strong first outings the last two days.
“(Jackson) Kowar was outstanding as was (Collin) Snider,” manager Scott Servais said following the Mariners’ 9-7 Cactus League loss to the Royals on Wednesday afternoon (box score here). “Some good signs there obviously.”
Kowar, acquired from the Braves in the trade involving Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales and Evan White, had a 1-2-3 third inning and fanned one while facing his former team, the Royals. Snider, also a former Royal, needed just seven pitches to get through the sixth.
“The are very different pitchers,” Servais said. “Kowar, it’s a little bit bigger fastball, you will see it up to 98 mph, outstanding changeup. The biggest thing with him is he’s got to get strike 1. He did it today. Snider threw seven pitches and they are all strikes.”
On Tuesday, it was Carlos Vargas, part of of the return from Arizona in the Eugenio Suárez, who impressed.
“He threw the ball really good,” Servais said of the one-inning outing. “The fastball is unique. It’s cutting, it’s sinking. His go-to pitch is the slider. Even his misses were very close. It’s a good sign first time out there.”
Vargas comes to the Mariners as a 24 year old with very good stuff but command issues, having walked 97 batters in 188 2/3 innings in the minors. The four-seam fastball sat at 99 mph last year but got hit at a .400 average in his five big league appearances. That fastball did not make an appearance against the Giants in Scottsdale on Tuesday. Rather, he utilized a three-pitch mix – two-seam fastball, cutter and slider – to good success.
“I was trying to attack the strike zone,” Vargas said through interpreter Freddy Llanos. “I have a lot more confidence in my pitches and it has been a lot of fun.”
The cutter is relatively new, with Vargas deciding after 2022 he needed to find another pitch to get hitters out. The slider has been his baby.
“The slider is something I have always worked on,” he said with a smile. “It’s one of those pitches that I am proud of. I feel I can throw it in any situation and get the results.”
While he did not hit the upper 90s Tuesday, all three pitches had a ton of movement and generated some silly swings from the lefty he faced. The tweaks that the Mariners have made with him so far have been simple, according to Vargas.
“Just throw the ball in the middle and attack, attack, attack,” he said.
Words and results Servais no doubt is happy to hear and see.
“They are buying into the program, they’re getting great results, and we are going to need them,” he said. “These guys have great arms and we are going to be seeing them throughout the season.”
Seattle Mariners bullpen update: RHP Gregory Santos
News on Santos is good. The 24-year-old right-hander played catch Tuesday for the first time since being shut down with lat soreness. The session went well with Servais calling the report “awesome,” and that the trainer who caught him said he wouldn’t catch him again. Rather, he would have a bullpen catcher do it. In other words, he was throwing hard.
Santos was acquired earlier this month in a trade with the Chicago White Sox after an impressive 2023 campaign.
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SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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SEATTLE – High pressure continues early this week, leading to more sunshine and warmer afternoon temperatures. Skies will be sunny, warm and dry through the middle of the week.
High pressure continues early this week, leading to more sunshine and warmer afternoon temperatures.
What’s next:
Highs today in the low to mid 80s for parts of western Washington, with highs in central and eastern Washington getting close to 100 degrees. The coast and northern interior will remain in the 70s with mostly sunny skies.
Highs today in the low to mid 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Risk Levels
The Fire Risk Levels this week will continue to elevate as we see warming temperatures and increased chance of thunderstorms. East of the cascades is already dry and warm, so the increased chance of new fire starts will be something to watch with the storms.
The Fire Risk Levels this week will continue to elevate as we see warming temperatures and increased chance of thunderstorms. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Looking Ahead:
Temperatures will continue to warm for western Washington through midweek, before we see another low pressure system swing inland Thursday. This low will increase changes of showers and isolated thunderstorms on Thursday, and temperatures will be back to normal for this time of year. This cool down is short-lived as high pressure builds again and highs warm back up into the 80s by the weekend.
Temperatures will continue to warm for western Washington through midweek, before we see another low pressure system swing in Thursday.
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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
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