After dental issue, Mariners’ Matt Brash is back on the mound and feeling ‘really good’

PEORIA, Ariz. — Matt Brash knew the tooth was cracked. It was something he’d been living with for a while. But when he underwent the team’s extensive spring training evaluation, which includes a routine checkup from a local dentist for all players, Brash was advised to see an oral surgeon. The recommendation was to have it extracted. Given that it was spring training, he thought it was the right time to do it. But when the bleeding wouldn’t subside post-procedure, he had to go back in for some additional work. It left his face swollen and the area throbbing. He wasn’t allowed to eat solid food, which is less than ideal for someone who barely weighs 175 pounds. And sleep? It had to be in a...