The Seattle Mariners are getting closer to welcoming back a major piece of their rotation. Logan Gilbert, sidelined since late April with a right elbow flexor strain, will make at least one more rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma before rejoining the big-league club, manager Dan Wilson confirmed Friday.
Gilbert is scheduled to pitch Tuesday at Cheney Stadium, a move designed to build up his pitch count to around 75 and smooth out command issues that still linger. The decision also buys Seattle a little more time before having to reshuffle its five-man rotation.
“Just making sure he’s at a good spot and a good pitch count and ready to roll,” Wilson said. “We want to be in a position where we’re comfortable with where he’s going.”
Gilbert’s most recent rehab outing on Wednesday showed promising results. He threw 60 pitches across three-plus innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits while striking out two. Though his velocity dipped as the game went on—dropping from the upper 90s to around 93 mph in the fourth inning—Gilbert wasn’t concerned.
Mariners will get some help in their rotation soon
“Was it down?” he said with a laugh when asked Thursday. “I wasn’t really aware of that. It felt fine. There’s not much room in the dugout tunnel at Cheney, so I couldn’t do my usual in-between innings routine. That might’ve been part of it.”
The 2024 All-Star has maintained a fastball average of 95.4 mph, in line with his season average prior to landing on the IL. He’ll throw a bullpen session Saturday with pitching coach Pete Woodworth watching closely before returning to Tacoma for his next outing.
“I think it’s probably a good call,” Gilbert said about getting another rehab start. “It’s kind of like spring training. You need two or three outings to feel synced up. There’s no need to rush.”
As Gilbert nears his return, the Mariners will soon face a tough decision. Seattle is committed to a five-man rotation, meaning someone will need to be moved when Gilbert is activated. Emerson Hancock, who seemed the likely odd man out, is making a strong case to stay. He’s posted a 2.91 ERA over his last four starts, including 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball Wednesday against the Orioles.
“There’s a lot of things we weigh,” Wilson said. “Emerson has done a fantastic job. But Logan’s situation is independent of that.”
With fellow starter Bryce Miller also recently returning from injury and George Kirby shaking off a scary comebacker to the hand, the Mariners are finally nearing full strength in their rotation. And while the upcoming roster decisions won’t be easy, having too many quality arms is a problem every team wishes they had.
The post Mariners get big injury update as Logan Gilbert return nears appeared first on ClutchPoints.
