The Seattle Mariners have shut down Andrés Muñoz for the remainder of the 2026 regular season after placing the All-Star closer on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation.
The move comes with Seattle down to its final three games after being eliminated from postseason contention. The Mariners recalled right-hander Troy Taylor from Triple-A Tacoma to take Muñoz’s place on the roster.
Muñoz’s knee issue first surfaced during Seattle’s Sept. 20 game against the Colorado Rockies. He left after facing three batters, and an MRI later showed no structural damage. The inflammation, however, remained enough of a concern for the Mariners to end his season.
The shutdown ends an uneven season for Muñoz. He finished with a 4.24 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 89 strikeouts in 57⅓ innings while converting 28 saves. He also walked 24 batters across his 61 appearances.
For Seattle, the immediate focus is finding enough innings to close out a disappointing final weekend. Taylor provides another arm after spending most of the season with Tacoma. The 25-year-old had a 5.05 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 37 walks across 57 Triple-A innings before his September call-up.
Taylor has already appeared in the majors for Seattle, pitching in parts of two previous seasons. He owns a 5.88 ERA across 26 innings in 29 career appearances.
Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images
With the Mariners eliminated, there is little reason to push Muñoz through a knee issue. Instead, the club can use the final games to evaluate its bullpen depth while giving its closer additional time to recover.
For Muñoz, the goal now is simple: get healthy and put the 2026 season behind him before preparing for 2027.
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