Munoz earned a save against the Angels on Thursday, striking out all three batters he faced in a perfect ninth inning.
After Seattle rallied to take the lead with a four-run ninth inning, Munoz was summoned to slam the door on the Angels. He did so with aplomb, fanning all three batters he faced on 16 pitches. By doing so, Munoz notched a save for the second straight day. He appears to be the clear closer of choice for Seattle with Paul Sewald now in Arizona.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Converts third save
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Munoz picked up the save Wednesday against the Red Sox, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.
Munoz staked an early claim to the closing job in Seattle following the trade of Paul Sewald. The hard-throwing right-hander logged a pair of strikeouts, setting the Red Sox down in order to close out a 6-3 win. The 24-year-old Munoz certainly has the stuff to succeed in a closing role -- he's generated a 52 percent whiff rate with his slider this season, paired with a 100-mph fastball. Munoz has now converted 3-of-4 save opportunities this season while sporting a 2.81 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 36:11 K:BB across 25.2 innings.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: In line for closing role
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Munoz is in line to serve as the Mariners' primary closer following the trade of Paul Sewald to the Diamondbacks on Monday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Sewald had logged 24 save chances overall for the Mariners and Seattle is expected to remain a viable wild-card contender for the foreseeable future. Therefore, the potential closing workload Sewald's exit creates should afford Munoz his fair share of save chances, and the hard-throwing right-hander certainly has the stuff -- including a fastball that averages 99.1 mph -- for a ninth-inning role. However, the newfound opportunity comes in the midst of a handful of recent hiccups for Munoz, who's allowed an earned run in four of his last 10 appearances while taking three losses. The 24-year-old has converted two of the three save opportunities he's seen across 24 appearances thus far in 2023, and if he were to struggle as a closing option, fellow right-hander Matt Brash could conceivably be given a look in that role as well.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Takes fourth loss Saturday
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Munoz (2-4) took the loss against the Diamondbacks on Saturday, surrendering an earned run on a hit and a walk over one inning. He also committed a balk.
Entrusted with preserving a 3-3 tie when he entered in his usual eighth-inning slot, Munoz got into trouble immediately by walking leadoff hitter Corbin Carroll, advancing him to second base on a balk, allowing his steal of third and subsequently surrendering a go-ahead single to Dominic Canzone. The Mariners couldn't overcome the one-run deficit in the ninth, marking Munoz's third straight losing decision dating back to July 8. It's been a bit of a rockier month than usual for the hard-throwing right-hander, who's accompanied his five holds and one save in that span with three defeats and a blown save opportunity across 12.1 innings.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Earns second save
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Munoz picked up the save Wednesday against the Twins, working around a hit in a scoreless inning.
With Paul Sewald having pitched in Seattle's previous two games, Munoz was called upon to work the ninth Wednesday. He maneuvered around a leadoff single, closing out an 8-7 win to pick up his second save of the year -- his first since Opening Day. The 24-year-old Munoz had struggled to a 6.10 ERA over his previous 10 appearances (10.1 innings). Still, the right-hander has high-end potential and appears to be the next man up behind Sewald in the Mariners' bullpen. Munoz now sports a 2.82 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP and 32:9 K:BB across 22.1 innings this season.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Bounces back with 10th hold
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Munoz secured his 10th hold in a win over the Blue Jays on Saturday, firing a perfect eighth inning during which he recorded a strikeout.
The hard-throwing right-hander righted his ship with a sharp 13-pitch outing after having taken his third loss of the season Wednesday versus the Twins. Munoz has now reached double-digit holds for the second straight season, and despite some infrequent hiccups, he's sporting an impressive 2.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 13.3 K/9 and 0.4 HR/9 across 21 appearances.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Hit with third loss Wednesday
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Munoz (2-3) took the loss against the Twins on Wednesday, allowing an earned run on two hits and two walks over one inning. He struck out one.
The hard-throwing right-hander suffered yet another stumble, marking the third time in his last eight appearances in which he's allowed at least one earned run. Munoz's troubles Wednesday came about due to a combination of some small ball and an error, as he yielded singles to Max Kepler and Willi Castro before Tom Murphy's passed ball allowed Kepler to cross the plate with the tie-breaking run. Munoz still has a pair of wins, nine holds and one save, but he's posted a 6.48 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over the 8.1 innings covering that aforementioned uneven eight-appearance sample.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Takes second loss Saturday
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Munoz (2-2) took the loss Saturday against the Astros, allowing an earned run on a solo home run over one inning. He also walked a batter and struck out two.
The flamethrowing right-hander experienced a rare hiccup when he surrendered a 371-foot one-out solo homer to Martin Maldonado, which snapped a 2-2 tie and ultimately saddled Munoz with the loss. Munoz hadn't allowed a ball to leave the yard over his first 16 appearances, so Saturday's stumble can safely be labeled an outlier for the high-leverage asset who has also garnered seven holds while posting a 2.81 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 37.5 percent strikeout rate.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Grabs another win Monday
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Munoz (2-1) recorded the win over the Giants on Monday, firing a perfect eighth inning during which he recorded two strikeouts.
A little over 24 hours after recording his first win of the season, Munoz was even sharper while getting seven of his eight pitches in for strikes during a blink-and-you-missed-it-perfect frame. The caliber of Munoz's performances in each of the last two outings further corroborates that his one stumble of the season three appearances ago against the White Sox is a true outlier. In addition to his two victories, Munoz has also rewarded fantasy managers with six holds, a 2.57 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and a 13.5 K/9.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Bounces back with first win
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Munoz (1-1) got the win against the Rays on Sunday, firing a scoreless seventh inning during which he recorded a strikeout.
Less than 48 hours after a rare meltdown in Friday's loss, Munoz was right back to his usual sharp shelf in Sunday's appearance. The right-hander fired 12 of 16 pitches for strikes, and he's now generated scoreless appearances in 13 of his 14 trips to the mound this season while forging an elite 19:4 K:BB across 13 innings.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Experiences rare stumble
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Munoz (0-1) took the loss against the Rays on Friday, allowing four earned runs on four hits over one-plus inning. He did not issue a walk or record a strikeout.
Both the Mariners as a whole and Munoz in particular saw their nights take sudden ugly turns after encouraging starts. The normally reliable right-hander cruised through his first frame upon entering in the seventh, preserving a 4-4 tie with a 1-2-3 inning. However, Munoz would go on to play an integral role in Tampa Bay's eight-run eighth, failing to retire any of the four batters he faced while directly surrendering two runs and being charged with two more when runners he'd left on base upon exiting eventually crossed the plate. Prior to Friday, Munoz hadn't given up a run since Sept. 29, his penultimate appearance of 2022. Despite the hiccup, the flamethrowing 24-year-old should continue to enjoy plenty of high-leverage opportunities given his track record.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Effective in return
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Munoz recorded his sixth hold in a win over the Nationals on Monday, firing a scoreless eighth inning during which he issued a walk and recorded two strikeouts.
Munoz had exited Saturday's appearance against the Orioles due to feeling light-headed, but the clean bill of health doctors gave him after checking him out appears to have been on target. The fireballing right-hander was back in his usual setup role and essentially breezed through his one frame, pounding 11 of 16 pitches in for strikes. Munoz has now recorded a hold in five of his seven appearances since returning from a near-two-month absence due to a shoulder injury.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Leaves with apparent injury
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Munoz left Saturday's relief appearance against the Orioles with an apparent injury, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Munoz exited his appearance with manager Scott Servais and a team trainer. The right-hander has been replaced on the mound by Ty Adcock. There should be an update on Munoz's status before the end of Saturday's contest, but for now he should be considered day-to-day.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Exits due to feeling light-headed
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Munoz left Saturday's game versus the Orioles because he felt light-headed, Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 AM reports.
Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters after the extra-inning loss to Baltimore that Munoz was checked out by doctors at the park, and that he thinks he'll be fine. The hard-throwing reliever should be considered day-to-day at this stage.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Grabs third hold Saturday
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Munoz was credited with his third hold in a win over the Angels on Saturday, firing 1.1 scoreless innings during which he recorded three strikeouts.
The fireballing right-hander was making his second appearance since being activated from an extended stay on the injured list due to a deltoid strain. As was the case with his return appearance Tuesday, Munoz did not disappoint, getting his four outs on an efficient 15 pitches while pounding 11 in for strikes. Manager Scott Servais took the opportunity to get both Munoz and fellow high-leverage asset Paul Sewald some work in the non-save scenario -- the latter worked the ninth inning. However, the order of their late-inning usage could conceivably be flipped in any given game moving forward considering how effective Munoz already looks despite his long layoff.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Strikes out two in return
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Munoz (shoulder) struck out two in a perfect inning, earning a hold in Tuesday's 4-1 win over the Padres.
Munoz missed the better part of two months with a shoulder strain. He looked great in his return with a fastball that touched just over 100 mph and four whiffs on 16 pitches. Munoz has given up four hits and a walk while striking out five over 4.1 innings this season, and his usage Tuesday suggests he could immediately resume a high-leverage role. For now, Paul Sewald is the Mariners' preferred closer, but Munoz certainly has the stuff to potentially eke out his fair share of save chances.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Reinstated from IL
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Munoz (shoulder) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.
As expected, the Mariners returned Munoz from the 15-day IL on Tuesday, clearing him to return to the big-league bullpen for the first time since April 9. The right-hander has appeared in four games with Seattle this season, tossing 3.1 scoreless frames, allowing four hits and a walk while striking out three batters. The 24-year-old flamethrower will likely step right into a prominent high-leverage role in Seattle's bullpen, though veteran Paul Sewald could have a strong hold on the ninth inning for the time being. Regardless of where he slots in, Munoz figures to be a strong fantasy asset coming off of a 2022 campaign where he produced a 2.49 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with a 13.3 K/9 and 22 holds over 65 frames in 64 appearances.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Another scoreless rehab outing
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Munoz (shoulder) fired a scoreless fourth inning during which he issued a walk and recorded a strikeout in Triple-A Tacoma's loss to Sacramento on Friday.
Munoz's second rehab appearance saw him fire eight of 15 pitches for strikes and put together another scoreless outing. Rainiers play-by-play broadcaster Mike Curto reports the right-hander threw 10 sliders and five fastballs, with the heater sitting between 97 and 99 miles per hour. Munoz's velocity is clearly in formidable shape, lending credence to the notion he may need only a couple more outings at most on the farm before being deemed ready for activation.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Could return Tuesday
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The Mariners are expected to reinstate Munoz (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list ahead of Tuesday's series opener in San Diego, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
Though Munoz has been on the shelf since April 9 with a right deltoid strain, he's looked as effective as ever since starting a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma last week. He's yet to allow a hit over three scoreless innings, striking out three batters in those appearances while displaying his typical upper-90s fastball velocity. Heading into the season, Munoz was projected to be part of a committee at closer with Paul Sewald, but Munoz may have to settle for a setup role upon his return while Sewald has turned in a 2.96 ERA and 0.90 WHIP this season en route to converting all but one of his 12 save chances.
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Mariners' Andres Munoz: Solid in first rehab appearance
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Munoz (shoulder) fired a perfect fourth inning in Triple-A Tacoma's loss to Sacramento on Tuesday, recording two strikeouts.
The hard-throwing right-hander was finally able to jump back into game action after hitting the injured list back on April 9. Munoz fired 12 of 19 pitches for strikes and seemed to have his trademark swing-and-miss stuff in strong form judging by his pair of punchouts. Given the length of his absence, Munoz is slated for multiple rehab appearances with the Rainiers before being deemed ready for activation.
