The Seattle Mariners were dealt a massive blow to their starting rotation on Wednesday with reports that pitcher Robbie Ray is out for the season. He will have flexor tendon repair surgery, according to Ryan Davish.
Ray made just one start this season before heading to the injured list with a flexor strain. He allowed five runs, three of them earned and did not make it out of the fourth inning in that start.
The Mariners signed Ray to a five-year, $115 million contract before the 2022 season. He made 32 starts and had a 3.71 ERA with 212 strikeouts, helping the Mariners make the playoffs for the first time in 20 seasons.
He joined the Mariners on the back of the best season of his career in 2021. Ray led the American League in ERA and the entire MLB in strikeouts with 248 punchies with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was named the AL Cy Young Award winner.
Though the loss of Ray is a tough pill to swallow, the Mariners have the means to make up for his absence. The move for Luis Castillo at the trade deadline last July becomes that much more important with Ray on the mend.
Castillo has been phenomenal since joining Seattle. He had a 3.17 ERA in 11 starts in 2022 and has been one of the best starters in the league this season, sporting a 1.52 ERA in five starts with 34 strikeouts.
The Mariners wanted Robbie Ray to be an ace for them as they go from perennial mediocrity to consistent appearances in the postseason. They'll have to wait until 2024 to feel Ray's impact on the diamond.
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