The Seattle Mariners have revealed the injury behind the forearm tightness that caused Logan Gilbert to exit his start on Friday after three innings, and it is not as bad as it could have been.
As reported by Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, the ace right-hander had an MRI on Saturday that revealed a Grade 1 flexor strain in his right elbow:
More news on Logan Gilbert: He underwent an MRI today that revealed a mild flexor strain, classified as Grade 1 … He will not throw for the next two weeks and be re-examined at that time to determine next steps.
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) April 26, 2025
This follows an initial report from Kramer on Friday that the Mariners were optimistic that Gilbert’s ulnar collateral ligament is still intact. That would appear to still be the case, though the 27-year-old is not out of the woods yet.
At least for now, the Mariners can breathe a sigh of relief about Logan Gilbert’s injury
If any Mariners fans are feeling anxiety upon hearing the words “flexor strain,” it may be because it’s an injury that can portend a more serious outcome.
To wit, it was a flexor strain that landed Robbie Ray on the injured list in April of 2023. He ended up having Tommy John surgery about a month later, which ultimately sidelined him until July of last season. By then, he was an ex-Mariner.
This is to say that the worst-case scenario for Gilbert may still be in play, and that any relief felt in and around the organization right now must be taken with a grain of salt.
And yet, any Grade 1 strain is the mildest sort of strain. And it isn’t unheard of for a pitcher to be diagnosed with a flexor strain and be able return in short order.
Just in 2024, for example, Nick Pivetta and Nestor Cortes only needed about a month to recover from elbow flexor strains. The former even went on to pitch another 134.2 innings, and he’s still going strong in 2025.
This is probably the best-case scenario for Gilbert and the Mariners, and it bears noting that even losing him for a month could prove to be a fatal blow. It’s going to be a tight race for the AL West title, and the Mariners know all too well how big of a difference even one loss too many can make.
Even if he’s fully healthy upon returning, the strain that Gilbert’s splitter puts on his elbow — Kramer mentioned this in his Friday report — could make him more reluctant to throw it. As it’s arguably the best pitch in baseball right now, that would amount to a competitive disadvantage.
Of course, all the Mariners know right now is that Gilbert won’t be throwing for the next two weeks. What happens after that contains multitudes of possibilities.
Still, there’s nothing wrong with Mariners fans indulging in the silver lining of the situation: For at least the next two weeks, Gilbert’s elbow can’t possibly get any worse.
