Mariners' Andres Munoz: Registers save versus Guardians
Rotowire
Munoz picked up the save in Thursday's 3-0 win over the Guardians. He allowed two hits and no walks or strikeouts in a scoreless frame.
Paul Sewald handled a scoreless top of the eighth inning with the game tied 0-0 and the 6-7-8 hitters in the Guardians' order due up. After the Mariners scored three times in the bottom of the frame they turned things over to Munoz, who pitched around a single and a double. It was a rare outing without a strikeout for the right-hander -- he had just 14 of those last season among 64 appearances -- but his velocity was fine as he maxed out at 100.6 mph. Seattle figures to give both Munoz and Sewald save opportunities, but if one of them stakes a claim to the full-time closer job, it'll probably be Munoz.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Stellar in Cactus League debut
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Munoz (foot) made his official Cactus League debut in Monday's win over the Brewers, throwing a perfect inning during which he struck out the side on a minimum nine pitches.
Munoz's long-awaited Cactus League debut could literally not have gone any better and served as a forceful corrobration of his return to health following offseason ankle surgery. Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports Munoz's putaway pitches consisted of a 100 mph fastball and two particularly impressive sliders, and that he also deployed the two-seam fastball he's been working on getting comfortable with on a couple of occasions. With his first taste of "A" game spring action out of the way, Munoz is likely to log at least several more appearances as he ramps up for Opening Day.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: No Cactus League debut yet
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Munoz (foot) pitched in a B game against the Padres at the Peoria Sports Complex's back fields Thursday as planned, but he's yet to make his Cactus League debut.
Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports Munoz threw 18 pitches and had his fastball sitting at 97-98 mph during his outing against San Diego. However, Munoz also conceded he has some adjustments to make, noting he was "thinking too much about the pitch clock", which caused him to rush his delivery a bit. Most important, there were no reported setbacks with Munoz's surgically repaired ankle, and his next opportunity to make his official Cactus League debut comes Sunday in split-squad action against either the Rangers or White Sox.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Pitching in B game Thursday
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Munoz (foot) will make an appearance in a B game Thursday, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.
The plan has been for Munoz to make his Cactus League debut Friday and that presumably will still happen. Munoz has been brought along slowly in camp following October foot surgery, but he's healthy and this point and just needs to knock some rust off. He and Paul Sewald and Munoz look like 1A and 1B at closer, respectively, for Seattle this season.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Friday debut anticipated
Rotowire
Munoz (foot) is expected to make his Cactus League debut Friday against the Padres, per the the team's official site.
The flame-throwing right-hander has thrown three successful live batting practice sessions, the most recent unfolding Monday. Munoz underwent foot surgery Oct. 27, but he feels he is starting to approach full health. "I feel pretty good. It's the first time that I faced hitters in a lot of time, so I don't feel as comfortable as I'm supposed to at this point," Munoz said March 10. "But I am getting there. I am getting the feeling of the ball again and working on my pitches."
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Nearing game action
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Munoz (ankle) threw a live batting practice session Friday, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports reports.
Munoz will throw one more live batting practice session before making an appearance in a Cactus League contest. The right-hander underwent foot surgery in the offseason, and the team is being conservative to make sure there's no setback. Munoz was dominant in 2022, and while he may not see the bulk of the save opportunities this season, he's the rare reliever who can be relevant in fantasy without them because of his ability to miss bats.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Nearing game appearance
Rotowire
Munoz (foot) is expected to need one or two more live batting practice sessions before appearing in a Cactus League game, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.
Mariners manager Scott Servais said that the team is "slow-playing" Munoz following offseason foot surgery, but the flame-throwing reliever is "looking good" and "feels great." Munoz will be in the mix for saves again this season alongside Paul Sewald. He has the potential to be a lockdown closer if given the job, but his manager has a track record of not settling on one guy.
Mariners' Andres Munoz: Ahead of schedule with foot
Rotowire
Mariners manager Scott Servais noted Thursday that Munoz is ahead of schedule in his recovery from October bone-fusion surgery in his right foot, Shannon Drayer of MyNorthwest.com reports.
"I am very happy with what I've seen there, and he feels good about where he's at," said Servais. Munoz is not yet on the pitching schedule for Cactus League games, but he's already thrown a number of bullpen sessions without issue since he reported to Mariners camp. The expectation is that the high-leverage reliever will be 100 percent in time for Opening Day.
Munoz (ankle) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.
Munoz was immobilized for 12 weeks (six in a cast, six in a walking boot) following surgery shortly after the season to fuse two bones together in his right ankle. However, he began a throwing program a while ago and has now progressed to mound work. Barring any setbacks, the hard-throwing reliever will be ready to roll for Opening Day.
Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday that Munoz (foot) has been out of a walking boot for the past two weeks and has started a throwing program, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Munoz underwent foot surgery after a breakout 2022 campaign in which the hard-throwing reliever post eda 2.49 ERA with four saves and 22 holds across 64 appearances. The 24-year-old should report to spring training with few limitations, if any, and while he may not see the majority of save chances with Seattle to begin the season, his ability to miss bats makes him relevant in several fantasy formats.
GM Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday that Munoz will undergo foot surgery, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.
The 23-year-old was a key bullpen piece for Seattle this year with four saves, 22 holds and a 2.49 ERA across 64 appearances, and he'll go under the knife for a foot issue after the loss to the Astros in the ALDS. Munoz surrendered three runs over three innings against Houston, though it's unclear how much, if at all, the injury contributed to his struggles. The specifics of the procedure remain unclear, but the right-hander will have nearly four months to recover ahead of spring training.
