The Mariners bullpen has already had its share of injury scares this spring. Fear of a monthslong absence for top setup man has been alleviated with a diagnosis of inflammation in his right elbow, but hes weeks behind schedule now and will be built up cautiously. Trade acquisition was shut down for a week earlier this spring due to a lat i sue but has resumed throwing Hamidou Diallo Jersey and could yet be ready for Opening Day, though thats contingent on him avoiding any further setbacks of course. Now, Mariners manager Scott Servais tells reporters that right-hander is meeting with a doctor tomorrow to have his arm evaluated ( via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). That may not seem like a significant concern, given Kowars unsightly big league track record. The former Royals first-round pick and top prospect was traded to Atlanta and then to Seattle in a pair of change-of-scenery swaps over the winter. Hes 27 years old and, in parts of three big league seasons, has yielded more than an earned run per inning (75 runs in 74 frames). He also has a minor league option remaining. On paper, he looked like a long shot to make the team. But , Kowar has impre sed the Mariners in camp. Hes averaged 96.1 mph on his heater in his career but was hitting 98 mph early in camp. Kowar has pitched a pair of scorele s innings, fanned three of his six opponents, and caught the teams attention with the quality of his changeup. With Brash unlikely to be ready for the opener and Santos also still building up, there was a potential spot for Kowar to claim. Divish noted that he had seemed to be locking in a spot before sorene s in his arm led to a temporary shutdown. Kowar last pitched on Feb. 28 and is now going for additional testing an ominous sign. The Mariners have a knack for unearthing bullpen talent. In the past few years theyve turned unheralded pickups of , , , , , and others into impact moves. Their ability to find hidden gems to round out the relief corps has allowed the Ms to perennially field strong bullpens and also to avoid the types of multi-year deals for relievers that often turn into landmines. A few short looks in spring training is far too small a sample to indicate Kowar would be the next bargain find for president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and his staff, but at the very least, the hard-throwing Kowar was trending in the right direction. At least for now, thatll be put on hold hopefully only for a brief period. Already dealing with a trio of arm scares in the bullpen isnt an enviable spot to be in particularly since Seattle traded one of last years top setup men, the aforementioned Topa, to the Twins as part of their trade to acquire second baseman . The Mariners still have one of the games most talented closers in righty , and they can look to lefties Speier and Saucedo to build on last years breakout showings to help form a setup corps. Santos could be ready for Opening Day still, and if not, he and Brash may not be delayed all that long. But the Mariners were already likely to be relying on some unproven arms Kowar among them. Righty had a strong showing after coming over from the Blue Jays in a little-noticed trade last year. Flamethrower , acquired in the trade, has a significant ceiling but worrying command i sues. Swingman has had flashes of big league succe s but has lacked consistency. Former eighth-rounder had a solid debut in 23, but last years 15 2/3 innings in the majors were his first experience above Double-A. Offseason pickups of , and give the Ms some other options, but none are proven at the big league level. Veterans like , and are in camp on non-roster deals. The Mariners likely wouldnt shy away from late-spring additions, be they via the trade market, the waiver wire or perhaps a late splash for one of the remaining free-agent relievers of note (e.g. ). Even in the absence (so far) of a major injury, their depth is already being tested a bit. Aleksej Pokusevski Jersey
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