This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer’s Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
HOUSTON -- Gregory Santos exercised some levity when acknowledging that he might need to alter his routine in order to remain consistently healthy.
“I think the thing I need to change is my body,” Santos said through an interpreter while laughing on Monday. “I've tried everything. I've tried different stuff just to try to stay healthy, but the results are that I haven't been healthy that much. But we're here. We're working through it.”
Santos was activated from the injured list after missing nearly two months with right biceps inflammation, which he said was actually related to a nerve issue in the area. He made six rehab outings at Triple-A Tacoma. Now he is eager to finish the year on the active roster after being sidelined for all but six games.
“It’s important. It means a lot,” Santos said. “Even though there are only six games, these are an important six games. So me being able to be here, I’m just trying to help the team however I can.”
At Tacoma, Santos surrendered one run in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts and seven walks, illustrating some rust with command. He also said the velocity on his pitches was down but only marginally.
“Obviously getting him back is a big lift for our bullpen,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “And I think it's going to be well received to have another arm down there, and one that has proven to be an effective arm down there. And at this time of the season, we're going to need that.”
Indeed, the Mariners could benefit from another power reliever to pair with All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz and blossoming rookie Troy Taylor, who has increasingly pitched his way into leverage spots. Santos likely won’t be deployed in the setup role that the club had envisioned when it acquired him in January, but the Mariners would like to create a runway for him to find his footing before the season ends.
“I’m going to give everything I can,” Santos said.
The flamethrowing Santos has been sidelined since July 31, and prior, he'd only appeared in only six games this season after missing the first three-plus months of the season with a right latissimus dorsi strain.
The first injury led to multiple setbacks, and the biceps ailment took longer to properly diagnose because of the nerve issue, he said. Last year with the White Sox, Santos finished the season on the IL with right elbow inflammation.
“It's been tough,” Santos said. “I didn't really expect the season where [it's] been this difficult with some health issues.”
In a corresponding move, left-hander Jhonathan Díaz was optioned to Seattle’s Spring Training complex, given that Tacoma’s season is over.