Minor League Baseball

Seattle Mariners Pitcher George Kirby Stumbles in Latest Rehab Start in Triple-A

The former Mariners All-Star had his third, worst, and possibly last rehab outing with the Tacoma Rainiers on Friday.
Teren Kowatsch|
Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby throws during a game against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 10, 2024, at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby throws during a game against the San Diego Padres on Sept. 10, 2024, at T-Mobile Park. | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners

Close to his return from shoulder inflammation that has sidelined him since March, Seattle Mariners' All-Star George Kirby made his third rehab start with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in a 15-14, 12-inning loss against the Albuquerque Isotopes on Friday. Kirby pitched the first four innings and had his worst rehab start thus far.

He allowed four earned runs on 10 hits, striking out four. Three of the hits he allowed were for extra bases: two home runs and a double.

Kirby has a 7.20 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched in his trio of rehab appearances. He's walked two batters and has given up eight earned runs on 15 hits (three home runs).

Kirby was originally anticipated to make two-to-three rehab starts with Tacoma before returning to Seattle's starting rotation, so this could be it for him on the rehab trail.

Kirby's start against the Isotopes could be enough to give the Mariners pause, but the franchise has always focused on whether a pitcher returning off the IL is physically and mentally prepared rather than raw numbers. Kirby hit several physical benchmarks in his latest start. He threw 64 pitches (48 strikes), the most on his rehab assignment. A good number of the damage against Kirby came in the first two innings, which could be an indication that the pitch count isn't laboring him and he simply fell prey to the high-octane offense the Pacific Coast League is known for. His fastball topped out at 97.5 mph.

If Kirby's next step is returning to the major league roster, he could return either May 21 in the final of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox or Game 1 of a four-game road set against the Houston Astros on May 22.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

Teren Kowatsch is a staff writer for ''Minor League Baseball on SI'' and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He has been a writer for “On SI’’ for two years and is a graduate of the University of Idaho. You can follow him on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch

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