Robbie Ray. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Mariners lose former Cy Young Award winner for season

By Aaron Somers | Last updated 4/27/23

A year ago, optimism was high in Seattle. The Mariners had just signed Robbie Ray to help anchor their starting rotation, as the left-hander was coming off winning the Cy Young Award with Toronto. Ray’s first season with the Mariners was solid and Seattle reached the postseason for the first time in more than 20 years.

This season, optimism was again high. The Mariners will need to make their run without Ray this time, however, as the team announced late Wednesday that the 31-year-old will undergo flexor tendon repair surgery.

Ray started only one game this season, throwing just 3.1 innings against Cleveland on March 31. Seattle placed him on the injured list with what they called a strained flexor tendon. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times relayed word that it was during testing for the initial strain that further damage was discovered.

Lefty Robbie Ray is done for the season. He will flexor tendon repair surgery.
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) April 26, 2023

Ray underwent more testing and revealed damage in a different area of the flexor tendon
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) April 26, 2023

The loss is naturally a big blow for the Mariners. Already operating without Ray in their rotation, the surgery won’t have an immediate change to the club’s roster. However, they won’t be able to count on Ray’s return later this season.

Seattle signed Ray to a five-year, $115M contract prior to the 2022 season that pays him $21M this year. Ray could have opted out of the remaining two years of the deal following this season but that seems entirely unlikely now that he’ll miss the year to surgery.

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