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Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Matt Brash has been one of the best setup men all season. However, Mariners manager Dan Wilson might lean on him even more. Seattle saw Trent Thornton go down with a leg injury against the Texas Rangers. It took the wind out of the Mariners' sails after Cal Raleigh made history. The severity of the injury is unknown, but Thornton is not optimistic.
The 31-year-old reliever is in his third season with Seattle after the Toronto Blue Jays traded him in 2023. Before his injury, he was a key piece of the Mariners' bullpen transferring leads to Brash and Andrés Muñoz, one of the best relief duos in Major League Baseball this season. Unfortunately, Thornton told ESPN that he believes he tore his ACL when he went down.
“It's probably the Achilles, but that's just speculation, so I'll find out tomorrow,” Thornton said. “Very frustrating.”
The reliever went on to describe the play that sent him to the ground. Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia caught him in the back of his left leg.
“I threw the pitch, and as soon as I turned, I thought I broke the guy's bat, and it hit me in the back of the leg, and I fell,” Thornton said.
Wilson and the rest of Seattle's coaching staff can do nothing but hold their breaths and hope that Thornton's injury is not too serious. However, he could be facing a year-long recovery if his diagnosis is correct. For a team that did not pursue any relief pitching at the trade deadline, the Mariners couldn't afford any injury.
Seattle made their fair share of moves, including acquiring Eugenio Suarez. The Mariners were able to walk away with one of the biggest names. However, their work is cut out for them now. Wilson needs to get creative to make up for Thornton's absence in order to hold off the Texas Rangers and catch the Houston Astros in the American League West.
