SEATTLE – Two Seattle Mariners who have spent most of this season on the injured list are close to starting rehab assignments.

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General manager Justin Hollander on Friday said reliever Gregory Santos and second baseman Ryan Bliss are expected to begin rehab stints soon, with Santos potentially making a September return to the major leagues.

After his rehab process was interrupted by a roughly two  to 2 1/2 week shutdown due to personal reasons, Santos has been throwing competitive bullpens in Arizona. The right-hander has been out of action since having knee surgery in April.

Hollander said the club has a mid-September return “written in pencil” for Santos.

“Had a really good week last week,” Hollander said. “Would anticipate a rehab assignment, with that leading into what is hopefully a September return, depending on how long it takes the rehab assignment in terms of how he’s feeling, how he responds to ramping up, days of rest, things like that.”

Multiple injuries have limited Santos to pitching just 16 games for the Mariners since he was acquired in a trade before last season.

Bliss, the Mariners’ opening day second baseman who has been out since April with a torn left biceps, is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week. The club hopes to get him 40 to 50 plate appearances in the minors.

“Excited for him to get back out in the field and in a competitive environment,” Hollander said.

Here are more updates a few other injured Mariners.

• Right fielder Dominic Canzone was out of the lineup for a third straight game after being hit in the wrist by a pitch Monday in Philadelphia. Hollander said Canzone was feeling better and is anticipated to return to the lineup this weekend. Manager Dan Wilson said the club had yet to make a ruling on if Canzone would be available to pinch hit Friday night against the Athletics.

• Right fielder Victor Robles is feeling well and continuing to progress during his rehab stint with Triple-A Tacoma. However, he is still facing a 10-game suspension when he makes his eventual return to the majors for an incident last week when he threw his bat towards a pitcher after being hit by a pitch on a swing. Robles is appealing the suspension, but there was no update on the status of the appeal as of late Friday afternoon.

“This is sort of a Victor, the league and the Players Association (thing), and we’re just a bystander on that,” Hollander said. “Would obviously love to get clarity sooner rather than later on what that looks like. Right now, what we know is 10 games will start when he’s activated from the IL.”

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MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer reported Tuesday that president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said the club was targeting a return to the majors for Robles next week. But that could be pushed back to when rosters expand to 28 players on Sept. 1 since Seattle will have to play a man down when Robles is activated.

Robles has been out since early April with a fracture and dislocation in his shoulder.

• Rookie right-hander Logan Evans received a cortisone injection to address the inflammation in his right elbow. Hollander said the club hopes Evans can begin a throwing program in the coming days.

“However long he’s down without throwing is how long roughly it takes to build back up, so hopefully get that going in the next couple of days to allow him to minimize the downtime,” Hollander said.

Hollander clarified that Evans’ elbow issue was the result of a pitch in the first inning of his Aug. 14 start in Baltimore and not from the collision he was involved in at home plate during the outing.

• Reliever Trent Thornton is heading home to the East Coast as he begins the rehabbing his torn Achilles. Thornton, who is out for the season, is expected to rejoin the club in late September as he continues his rehab process.

The Mariners open a three-game series with the Athletics on Friday at 7:10 p.m. Radio coverage begins with the pregame show at 6 p.m. on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app.

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