Mitch Haniger has reported to Mariners camp, but there is no timetable for his return
Mitch Haniger was on track to make a productive comeback at camp this spring. After losing more than half of last season to lingering injuries, his offseason program was in full swing, and progressing well.
Finally, it seemed, last summer’s frustrations — when a wayward foul ball resulted in a ruptured testicle, and the surgery to repair it ultimately led to lower back issues, and a few unsuccessful attempts to return to the Seattle Mariners outfield over the final three months — were behind him.
But, more bad news came in January. Another setback, and two more surgeries — one on his core, and another on his back. Following his second surgery in a three-week span, and his third in less than a year, Haniger posted a photo on his Instagram account vowing to come back better than he’s ever been.
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There’s still a long way to go to get to that point. He reported to the Mariners complex Wednesday, appearing much thinner because of his inability to participate in his usual workout routine. He spoke to reporters at length Thursday morning about how this has all unfolded over the past eight months.
“Early in my rehab last summer, I tore my adductor muscle attachment in my core,” he said. “Unfortunately at that time, it went undiagnosed and led to my back injury. That was in August.
“I tried to shut it down and do some rehab. Throughout the offseason, I tried to build core strength and low back strength, and felt really good. I went through my offseason trying to build everything back to where it was.”
He ramped up his baseball activities in January, as he normally would, intensifying his throwing and hitting programs, until he woke up one morning in pain, and struggled to walk.
A visit to Philadelphia to meet with a core surgeon revealed the unknown adductor injury that hampered him all summer.
“I was kind of stubbing my foot that whole time (during rehab), not knowing that was the issue,” Haniger said.
He went forward with the surgery, but when he resumed some rehab practices, his back pain flared up again. Scans of his lumbar area showed a significant herniation, so he flew home to California, and immediately decided to undergo another surgery to repair a vertebra.
Less than a month after the two most recent surgeries, he’s ready to look forward. There is no timetable for his return to Seattle’s outfield, but he expects to play this season.
“I’m really happy now that both problems are fixed,” Haniger said. “Surgery intervention was needed to fix both of those issues, and now I’m really excited that I can move forward and have a clear plan to get back on the field.
“I don’t know what the timetables are as of now. The main goal for me is to take it one day at a time, and try to do my stuff in the training room, make sure my diet is good, make sure my sleep is good — just everything I can do to control this healing process.”
The first couple of weeks of his rehab will consist of walking, he said. There will be no lifting or bending or twisting. Instead, he said he will focus on the mental side of his game, keeping himself busy with reading, meditation and other less strenuous morning and night routines.
“I choose to look at it in a positive manner as far as knowing now everything is fixed, and I’m already having a lot of relief,” Haniger said.
Based on the progression he saw in his workouts leading up to January, Haniger said he knows he can get back to where he was as a player before the injuries, and believes he can exceed the number he has already produced in four seasons in the majors — his best thus far coming in 2018, when he earned his first All-Star nod.
“Leading up to the surgeries, I had a really good offseason,” Haniger said. “Talking to my wife and trainers and guys here, I was like, ‘Look, I was killing it this offseason with a herniated disc and a torn adductor, and not knowing it, and putting up some really good numbers.’
“The way I choose to look at it is — what am I going to be capable of when I’m actually healthy? I’m excited to see what level I can be at, now that I’m fixed and starting this healing process. I think I’m going to be better than I ever was when I get back on the field.”
This story was originally published February 20, 2020 at 8:49 AM with the headline "Mitch Haniger has reported to Mariners camp, but there is no timetable for his return."
