Mariners' Robbie Ray Out for Season, Will Have Surgery for Arm Injury

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Robbie Ray will miss the remainder of the season to undergo flexor tendon repair surgery, manager Scott Servais told reporters Wednesday.

Ray allowed five runs (three earned), four hits and five walks in 3.1 innings in his 2023 debut against the Cleveland Guardians on March 31. He underwent an MRI the morning after the game and landed on the injured list after imaging revealed a Grade 1 flexor strain, per the Seattle Times' Ryan Divish.

There was some optimism when Ray told reporters April 18 that the progression on the injury had been good. However, further testing revealed damage in a different area of the flexor tendon, per Divish.

Ray won the American League Cy Young Award in 2021 with the Toronto Blue Jays after posting an MLB-high 248 strikeouts and an American League-best 2.84 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. He then left Toronto for Seattle in free agency on a five-year, $115 million contract.

The 31-year-old southpaw went 12-12 with a 3.71 ERA (1.19 WHIP) in 2022. He still struck out 212 batters in 189.0 frames.

Losing Ray is a tough blow for a Mariners team that's off to an 11-12 start. Seattle still has a strong rotation outside Ray, with four of its five starting pitchers posting 3.57 ERA or better. Chris Flexen, who has stepped in for Ray in the rotation, has gone 0-4 with an 8.86 ERA.

It's certainly possible Flexen turns it around. He posted a 3.66 ERA over 64 games (53 starts) in the past two seasons.

But the Mariners have other issues. Namely, the offense hasn't gotten it going. The team is ninth in the AL in OPS (.686) and 10th in home runs (24).

There's plenty of season left, but Ray will be a massive loss as Seattle looks for a return trip to the playoffs.