Mariners injury updates: Matt Brash to 15-day IL; Brendan Donovan, Bryce Miller near return - Lookout Landing

Mariners GM Justin Hollander met with the media ahead of this week’s homestand to provide updates on injured Mariners. Obviously, the question at top of mind for most Mariners fans is what the latest is on reliever Matt Brash, who had to leave Wednesday’s game with an apparent injury to his side. Brash had an MRI which revealed inflammation in his lat, which is significantly more optimistic than the oblique injury many feared when he left the game. Hollander says there are no signs of anything serious or structurally damaged, just trace inflammation. The team has opted to put Brash on the 15-day IL, calling up lefty Josh Simpson to take Brash’s place. Despite the disappointing injury designation, Hollander called the results of Brash’s MRI “very good news all around, probably the best news we could have possibly hoped for.” One other note relevant to tonight’s game: despite the Royals putting a lefty on the hill, OF Rob Refsnyder is not in the starting lineup. Manager Dan Wilson said Ref is “nursing a couple of different little things” and that he’s fine, but day-to-day. Other injury updates: * INF Brendan Donovan (groin) - Donovan will travel to Arkansas on Monday to play with the Travelers when they start a home series this week. He’ll play Tuesday and Wednesday with Arkansas, and then if all goes well, will join the team in Chicago ahead of the series against the White Sox next Friday. Hollander said the team will look into doing some load management strategies - DH days or the occasional off-day - to help Donovan as he continues to work back from the sports hernia surgery he had last year. * OF Victor Robles (shoulder) - Robles will head out on a rehab assignment on Sunday and the team will assess weekly how he’s doing. The soonest he would return would maybe be the start of the Houston series on this upcoming road trip, but the team will assess after he finishes his first week of rehab assignments. Hollander said the last hurdle Robles needs to clear is making the long throw home from the outfield, but overall the team is happy with how he’s progressing. * INF Patrick Wisdom (oblique) - Wisdom will begin a short rehab assignment this weekend in Tacoma. * RHP Carlos Vargas (lat) - Vargas has hit a “mild setback” in his rehab process, feeling some pain in his strained lat in the early stages of his ramp up back to throwing. He’ll take some time off and then will start the ramp-up progression from the beginning. Lat strains: almost as not-fun as oblique strains. * RHP Bryce Miller (oblique) - Ending on a positive note. Miller continues to charge through the rehab process with no setbacks. His next outing will be in Everett on May 6th, narrowly missing the opportunity to see Miller in the Everett Star Wars jerseys, with a goal of 65-70 pitches and hopefully five innings, and the team will decide whether he needs another start after that or not.