Bryan Woo took an encouraging step forward in his recovery from a right hamstring strain this week and he could be in line to return to the Mariners’ rotation as soon as next week.
The 24-year-old right-hander, on the injured list since June 25, looked “really good” when he threw off a mound on Wednesday afternoon, manager Scott Servais said.
The next step for Woo is a rehab start, and that could come as early as this weekend with High-A Everett.
Reliever Gregory Santos, who threw one scoreless inning for Triple-A Tacoma in his first rehab outing on Tuesday, will likely have his next outing in Everett this weekend.
The AquaSox are hosting the Vancouver Canadians for a series at Funko Field that wraps up Saturday.
Servais said it’s important for Woo to get “in an actual game competition setting, rev up the intensity a little bit more than what you see out in the bullpen. And from that too, you have to cover first [base], you have to do all the things that we’re going to need him to do when he gets back in our rotation.”
Woo missed the first six weeks of the season with right elbow inflammation, and he missed a start last month because of a similar injury scare in his right forearm.
He had to leave his start in Tampa Bay on June 24 after straining his hamstring on a pitch in the fourth inning.
But Servais said Woo is trending in the right direction this week and didn’t rule out the possibility of the right-hander’s return before the All-Star break.
The Mariners wrap up their current homestand Sunday against the Blue Jays. On Tuesday, they begin a six-game road swing to San Diego and Anaheim to close out the first half of the season.
“I would love to have him back as soon as possible,” Servais said. “Everything is dependent on how he comes out of the rehab outing.”
Servais also wants Woo’s arm to be built up to the point he can throw at least four or five innings when he returns to the Mariners.
“We’re not going to activate him and put him in a big-league game if he can only go out and throw two innings,” Servais said. “That doesn’t help us.”
Woo’s next turn in the M’s rotation comes up on Saturday, and the Mariners have not announced who will start Saturday’s game against the Blue Jays.
They will almost certainly call up a starter from Triple-A Tacoma, and Emerson Hancock would be a logical choice.
Hancock, 25, made his last start for the Rainiers on Saturday.
Hancock was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Month for June, during which he allowed just two earned runs in 21.1 innings (0.84 ERA) with 17 strikeouts and seven walks.
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