Bryan Woo to Undergo MRI for Pectoral Strain
Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo exited his start against the Houston Astros early on Friday night after experiencing discomfort during warm-up pitches before the sixth inning. following the game, Mariners manager Dan Wilson informed Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times that Woo was dealing with “a little pec tightness” and will undergo an MRI on Saturday to determine the extent of the injury.
Wilson explained that Woo initially reported the discomfort after the fifth inning, prompting the warm-up attempts to assess the issue before ultimately removing him from the game. The manager expressed hope that the early detection would prevent a more serious injury, but awaits the MRI results for confirmation.
Woo had been pitching effectively prior to the injury, holding the Astros to one hit and one walk over five scoreless innings. The Mariners bullpen continued the strong performance, securing a 4-0 shutout victory that moved Seattle one game ahead of Houston in the AL West standings and positioned them for a potential first-round playoff bye after winning the season series against the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers.
Despite a generally less dominant Mariners rotation this season, Woo has been a key contributor, enjoying his best MLB season to date. Entering FridayS game, he boasted a 3.02 ERA and a 26.8% strikeout rate across 181 2/3 innings pitched. His success has been aided by a .238 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and an exceptional 4.9% walk rate, among the league’s best.
The potential injury is particularly concerning given Woo’s history with arm issues. He was recovering from Tommy John surgery when drafted by the Mariners in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He later missed time due to arm injuries in both 2022 and 2023, though he did make his MLB debut in 2023. Elbow inflammation delayed his 2024 debut until May 10th, and a hamstring strain further limited him to 121 1/3 big league innings last year. He had already logged 186 2/3 innings this season prior to Friday’s injury.
