At 60-53, the Seattle Mariners are staring down the barrel of a playoff spot. Currently second in the AL West and tied with the New York Yankees for the second AL Wild Card spot, 2025 has been a strong one thus far. After bringing in corner infielders Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline, the Mariners received more good news on Tuesday. According to team beat writer Ryan Divish on X (formerly Twitter), Seattle received injury updates on starting pitcher Bryce Miller, as well as outfielders Victor Robles and Luke Raley.
“GM Justin Hollander said he expects Bryce Miller to make another rehab assignment after Thursday’s outing,” reported Divish on Tuesday.
Getting this trio back would certainly give the Mariners' postseason odds a bump. Miller returning to the rotation would allow the team to send Logan Evans to the bullpen or back to Triple-A. It would also increase the team's pitching depth, which would be very useful in October. Meanwhile, Robles and Raley would bring their skillsets back to a lineup that could also use the help. While Seattle has been better offensively this season, getting a couple more bats that can help the club accomplish its mission is never a bad idea.
Trio of returns should help Mariners playoff push
During the time that Miller, Raley and Robles have been out, the Mariners have held their own. The team's play has been a bit up and down since the All-Star Break, but they've still played well enough to maintain their place in the standings. Entering their midweek series against the Chicago White Sox, Seattle is coming off a series win over the Texas Rangers. This helped them hold their one and a half game advantage over Texas, who are currently in third in the AL West.
Robles has been out since April, while Raley and Miller's ailments have flared up in the last few weeks. Now, as Robles and Miller begin their rehab stints, they could be back within the next week or two. Getting Raley back shortly after that would be a boon as well. Can these returns put Seattle over the hump and back into the playoffs? If so, the team's pursuit of their first World Series title will continue.
