After dental issue, Mariners’ Matt Brash is back on the mound and feeling ‘really good’

PEORIA, Ariz. – Matt Brash knew the tooth was cracked. It was something he’d been living with for a while. But when he underwent the team’s extensive spring training evaluation, which includes a routine checkup from a local dentist for all players, Brash was advised to see an oral surgeon.

The recommendation was to have it extracted. Given that it was spring training, he thought it was the right time to do it. But when the bleeding wouldn’t subside post-procedure, he had to go back in for some additional work. It left his face swollen and the area throbbing. He wasn’t allowed to eat solid food, which is less than ideal for someone who barely weighs 175 pounds. And sleep? It had to be in a chair so he wouldn’t lie on the swollen side of his face.

“It was definitely a tough couple days,” he said. “It was just uncomfortable, and I couldn’t really like eat anything. That was the worst part. When you’re just kind of having smoothies and no actual food, you feel a little off. But these last couple days, I’ve been able to eat real food, and I threw a bullpen (Tuesday) and it felt really good. I feel like I’m back on track.”

There is still some residual swelling in his jaw.

“It’s going (down) each day,” he said. “I was getting worried there. Like two days ago, it was bad and I was like, ‘Is this ever going to go down?’ ”

While tooth issues are miserable, Brash will take them over what he’s dealt with in past spring trainings. He had elbow issues in 2024 that eventually led to Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament. Last spring, he was still working his way back from the surgery.

“I haven’t had a really super normal spring training in a while,” he said. “And I feel really good right now.”

How good?

“It was probably the best bullpen I’ve had since my surgery,” he said. “Even all last year, my arm felt fine, but your body feels a little different. You’re not moving the same. And maybe I was trying a little too hard to throw hard, or whatever it was. So yesterday, when I was (throwing) off the mound, I was at 95-96 mph and throwing nice and easy. It was super smooth.”

Brash has changed up his mechanics slightly, going back to bring his arms over his head when he pitches from the full windup.

“The only thing I really want to focus on is just kind of relaxing on the mound a little more,” he said. “I feel like I was a little tense last season. I was trying hard to get my velocity back, and that’s not me. I’m loose (with his body) until my foot lands and it’s go time to release the ball. That’s where my velocity comes from. That’s where I feel best moving down the mound.”

His four-seam fastball averaged 95.8 mph in 2025, down from 98.1 mph in 2023. His sinker averaged 96.4 mph in 2025, as compared to 98.5 in 2023. His slider was down from 89 mph in 2023 to 86 mph in 2025.

Brash had planned on pitching for Canada in the World Baseball Classic. He served as their closer in 2023. He talked to Greg Hamilton, the team’s bench coach, and committed to playing if he was healthy.

“I told him, ‘Hey, I really want to play, but I am coming off this major surgery and if I feel like I’m not ready, or I have any sort of setback or anything, I’m probably not gonna play,’ ” Brash said.

Early in his offseason throwing program, Brash dealt with some mild inflammation in his arm, forcing him to shut down from throwing for a few days.

“I just didn’t want to push it and just kind of set me back,” he said.

When that happened, Brash decided that trying to keep ramping up early to pitch in the WBC would be less than ideal.

“Our season’s more important in the grand scheme of things, just to come back healthy for the Mariners,” he said. “Obviously, not a decision I wanted to make. It’s always tough. I wanted to play for my country, but it was important to just take my time, be cautionary, and just kind of get ready for the Mariners season.”

It’s a Mariners season with World Series expectations. The rush of pitching in the postseason is addicting. He didn’t worry about his elbow or his workload, only winning.

“The adrenaline kind of takes over, and you feel good every day,” he said. “You feel like you can throw, but it is a lot. I was kind of spaced out in appearances throughout the season because of my surgery. I wasn’t going a ton of back-to-back (games), but I still felt good. It’s the postseason. That’s what you play for. I would’ve pitched every day if I had to, even coming off the surgery. It’s what you’re there for. That’s what you get paid for. I’m just excited to get back there.”