Kowar is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, so this was done merely as a procedural move to free up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster for the addition of Seth Martinez on Sunday. Kowar is right on schedule and has looked good in his early bullpen sessions, but isn’t expected to be ready to return until mid-May at the earliest.

Kowar met with doctors on Friday after experiencing right arm soreness last week and that is when the injury was discovered. The Mariners haven’t announced what his next steps will be, but he will likely be out for the remainder of the 2024 season. The Mariners bullpen has been devastated by injury this spring and Kowar joins a list that includes Matt Brash (elbow) and Gregory Santos (lat).

The Mariners are obviously hoping this isn’t anything too serious given the other injuries, such as Matt Brash, that have hit their bullpen this Spring Training. The 27-year-old, who was drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft, hasn’t been great in the majors posting a 9.12 ERA in eight starts and 31 relief appearances over the past three seasons. He’s likely a bullpen depth piece at this point in his career.

The Braves had just picked up Kowar from the Royals for the injured Kyle Wright last month. The 27-year-old has a sterling 9.12 ERA in eight starts and 31 relief appearances as a major leaguer over the last three seasons. There still might be some hope for him as a reliever, but he doesn’t seem like much of an option as a starter at this point.