Seattle Mariners' George Kirby Named All-Star Replacement For Tampa Bay Rays' Shane McClanahan
With Tampa Bay Rays ace Shane McClanahan on the injured list now with a back issue, Seattle Mariners young right-hander George Kirby has been named to the American League All-Star team as a replacement.
It will be Kirby's first appearance in the Midsummer Classic after making his debut early in 2022. It will also give the Mariners three players in the All-Star Game (Kirby, Julio Rodriguez, Luis Castillo), which is being held in Seattle for the first time since 2001.
Kirby is one of the best young pitchers in baseball, armed with a mid-90s fastball, good secondary stuff and impeccable control. He's 7-7 this season with a 3.21 ERA in 16 starts. He's thrown 101 innings this year, has struck out 86 and has walked just nine.
His performance has been extra important to a Mariners staff ravaged by injuries. The team lost Robbie Ray for the season to Tommy John surgery and has been without Marco Gonzales for the last few weeks, so Kirby has had to step up alongside Castillo.
The Mariners have been a frustrating team all season, but they are on a hot streak right now, having won four straight. They'll go for a sweep of the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 9:05 p.m. ET as the M's will go with a bullpen day on the mound against veteran righty Alex Cobb.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS DURING ALL-STAR WEEK in Seattle, per MLB.com:
Friday, July 7: HBCU Swingman Classic (7:30 p.m. ET)
Saturday, July 8: All-Star Celebrity Softball Game and MLB Futures Game (Futures Game 4 p.m., softball game after)
Sunday, July 9: MLB Draft, Rounds 1-2 (7 p.m. ET)
Monday, July 10: Home Run Derby (8 p.m. ET)
Tuesday, July 11: All-Star Game (8 p.m. ET)
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