Sometimes, more than the injuries, their explanation creates headlines! Especially when a team executive publicly declares that an MRI “looks great” despite a lingering issue, it’s bound to raise some eyebrows. And well, it drew the attention of the former Miami Marlins’ president.

On his show, Nothing Personal with David Samson, he targeted Mariners GM Justin Hollander for his oddly reassuring remarks about George Kirby‘s shoulder injury.

“If you ask baseball players and executives… we’re far more afraid and reticent to announce shoulder inflammation than we are to announce elbow inflammation or forearm inflammation,” Samson stated, given shoulder issues are unpredictable. Yet, Hollander seemed to downplay this issue.

“We did an MRI, and the MRI looks great—that’s when he lost me,” Samson seemed to have been caught off-guard by Hollander’s downplaying of the situation. He added, “…You never come out of an MRI and say, ‘Oh, that looks great,’ because there’s a reason for an MRI.” Indeed MRIs aren’t a part of a regular checkup. They’re only done when something is wrong. And in this particular instance, George Kirby’s shoulder inflammation was exactly what the MRI confirmed.

Seems like labeling the reports “great” was misleading at its best.

And that’s not all. Samson’s other concern was Hollander’s strong insistence on “zero structural concerns.” He outright dismissed it and pointed out, “There’s never been an MRI I’ve ever seen… where we had zero structural concerns.” Samson asked whether it was supposed to reassure fans, other teams, or both. Either way, it didn’t sit well with him.

So, with starting pitcher George Kirby sidelined, is there any good news for the Seattle Mariners?

Seattle’s Troy Taylor makes strides in recovery amidst latest bullpen session

With opening day right around the corner, the Seattle Mariners are buckling up for the season. That’s where Troy Taylor, known to be one of the Mariners’ breakout rookies from 2024, comes into the scene.

If we were to take any indication from the recent bullpen session, Taylor might not be out for long. After dealing with the right lat strain during the off-season, he wasn’t allowed to throw for multiple days during spring training. But he took his first bullpen session last Friday, working his way back, and just two days later, he was already showing promise.

The 25-year-old had his major league debut late last August. He wasted no time in becoming Seattle’s high-leverage arm. He was often called upon in the seventh and eighth innings, but he recorded an impressive 3.72 ERA in 21 trips to the mound. Additionally, he also struck out 25 batters in just 19.1 innings.

The Mariners have already dealt with a setback with injury news this spring. Key among them—Kirby’s week-to-week shoulder issue! But the progress Taylor is making provides a sliver of hope. He’s still expected to commence the season on the injured list. But the Mariners are aware of what he is capable of once healthy. If he comes back in the form, he could make a comeback in the bullpen mix sooner.

And Seattle needs all the arms it can get with a depleted pitching staff. Think Taylor will be back?