Haniger (back) has resumed full baseball activities, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

Haniger sat out the 2020 season due to various injuries, but he avoided arbitration with the Mariners in early December and is expected to serve as the team's starting right fielder on Opening Day. Since he's resumed full baseball activities, Haniger is expected to be ready when position players report to spring training.

Haniger (back) signed a one-year, $3.01 million contract with the Mariners on Saturday, avoiding arbitration, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Haniger is expected to begin the 2021 season as the Mariners' starting right fielder, and he'll avoid arbitration by agreeing to a new contract Saturday. The 29-year-old missed the entire 2020 campaign due to a slew of injuries, but he's been effective over 350 major-league contests and should be a valuable asset for the Mariners and fantasy managers if he can return to form next year.

Haniger (back) is expected to enter 2021 as the Mariners' starting right fielder, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Haniger didn't play at all this season, part of a brutal 16-month stretch which has seen him go through first a ruptured testicle and then a pair of surgeries for a sports hernia and a back issue. Come Opening Day of 2021, it will have been more than 21 months since he last played in a big-league game. He's a career .267/.348/.480 hitter in 350 major-league contests, however, so he should be able to help both the Mariners and fantasy teams if he's able to get close to his previous form after such a long layoff.

Haniger (back) continues his workouts a private facility in Seattle and has "really picked up his lifting and workouts" according to manager Scott Servais, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

While the first news in quite a while on Haniger is certainly positive overall, it's also important to note the outfielder isn't yet doing any baseball activity. Haniger is focused on getting ready for spring training at this point, and whenever he does get back into a regular-season game, it will be his first since June 6, 2019 following a ruptured testicle and subsequent back surgery. The veteran remains under team control for two more seasons beyond 2020.

GM Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday that Haniger (back) hasn't resumed baseball activities and there's a possibility he doesn't play this season, Lauren Smith of The Tacoma News Tribune reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 29-year-old was placed on the 60-day injured list before the start of summer training last week, which was a solid indication he may not be taking the field anytime soon. Haniger first went down with a ruptured testicle last summer and required multiple surgeries, and he also had a procedure to fix a vertebrae in his lower back in February. The team is making sure the outfielder doesn't push things beyond where he's comfortable in he recovery, which makes sense given the myriad of issues he's returning from. The Mariners don't appear in a rush to put Haniger on the field for the shortened 2020 campaign, though for now he has yet to be officially ruled out.

Haniger (back) was placed on the 45-day injured list Sunday, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.

EDGE Analysis

GM Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday he wasn't sure of Haniger's status for summer camp, but his removal from the 40-man roster makes clear he needs additional time before retaking the field. The 29-year-old ruptured a testicle last summer and required additional surgeries in early 2020 for that issue, and he also underwent a microdisectomy in February to fix a vertebrae in his lower back. Jake Fraley is expected to see time in left field for Seattle, while it remains unclear if Haniger will be able to participate in the shortened 2020 season.

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said Wednesday that he's unsure of Haniger's (back) status for spring training 2.0, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

EDGE Analysis

It has been more than a full calendar year since Haniger last played in a major-league game. He suffered a ruptured testicle last summer and was forced to undergo additional procedures early in 2020 to address that issue. The 29-year-old also went under the knife for a microdisectomy to repair a vertebrae in his lower back. If Haniger is not ready, we could see a fair amount of Jake Fraley in left field to begin the shortened season.

GM Jerry Dipoto indicated Saturday that Haniger (back/core) has no timeline for his return to baseball activities, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 29-year-old has continued his rehab work remotely since the start of the league-wide shutdown, and he's still working through strength and mobility exercises. Haniger underwent sports hernia surgery and back surgery in February and remains without a timeline for his return, as Dipoto said "I don't know how long that's going to take" and indicated the club is slow playing the outfielder's rehab.

Haniger (back/core) said last week that he's been able to do some core exercises for strength and mobility at his home in California since MLB suspended its season, Shannon Drayer of 710 AM ESPN Seattle reports.

EDGE Analysis

Haniger said the league-wide shutdown hasn't had too much of an impact on his rehab program yet, as he's still able to do most of his strengthening exercises on his own and then relaying his progress to the team's training staff. The real test for Haniger's health coming off back and core-muscle surgeries will come when he reaches the point where he's ready to incorporate baseball activities into his training. Prior to the season being suspended, Haniger was expected to miss most of the first half, so he won't be a safe bet to be ready to go even if Opening Day doesn't come until June.

Haniger (back) will be limited to walking for approximately one more week before he begins ramping up his rehab process, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Haniger is still in recovery from the microdisectomy he underwent three weeks ago to repair a herniated disc. When also factoring in an early-February procedure to repair a torn adductor muscle, the outfielder underwent two surgeries over a three-week period, making his deliberate recovery completely understandable. Haniger remains without a timetable for a return to action, but a possible 2020 debut date should start to come more into focus as he begins to work through the rehabilitation process.