Minor League Baseball

Seattle Mariners Pitching Prospect, 2024 Draft Pick Placed on Injured List

Christian Little, who's currently assigned to the Single-A Modesto Nuts, was placed on the IL for an unknown reason on Friday.
Teren Kowatsch|
Louisiana State pitcher Christian Little throws during an SEC Tournament game against South Carolina on May 23, 2024, Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
Louisiana State pitcher Christian Little throws during an SEC Tournament game against South Carolina on May 23, 2024, Hoover Metropolitan Stadium. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

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Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners used the 2024 MLB Draft to bolster the pitching depth in the farm system. They took 15 hurlers with their 20 picks in last year's draft. One of the most promising pitchers among that crop was placed on the injured list on Friday.

Right-handed pitcher Christian Little, who's been with Seattle's Single-A Modesto Nuts this year, was placed on the 7-day injured list Friday. There was no word on the specifics or severity of the injury.

The Nuts brought up fellow right-handed starter Chia-Shi Shen from the Arizona Complex League in place of Little in the starting rotation.

The 21-year-old was picked in the 11th round of last year's draft out of Louisiana State (LSU). Little has a 4.76 ERA this season with 55 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched across 12 starts this season.

Little had six strikeouts in three of his last four starts. That stretch included two six-inning quality starts on June 7 and 14.

Little has received compliments from several top figures in the Mariners front office during the offseason and spring training. Baseball America had the following scouting report on Little before he was drafted:

Little has a five-pitch mix of quality offerings starting with a riding fastball that averaged 94-95 mph and has been up to 99. He developed an upper-80s cutter in college that has become a large part of his arsenal and accounted for nearly a third of his pitch usage in 2024. ... Little has an unusual profile given his quality stuff and age for a senior—he turns 21 just before the draft—but there’s exciting upside potential still for a team who can help him gain more consistency.

Related Minor League Baseball stories

MARINERS TOP PROSPECT HARRY FORD NOT BEING PROMOTED AS OF NOW: The top 100 Mariners prospect was brought up to the team's taxi squad after Mitch Garver took a foul ball off the jaw. CLICK HERE

MARINERS PROMOTE INTRIGUING PITCHING PROSPECT TO SINGLE-A MODESTO: Chia-Shi Shen, who signed with the Mariners in 2024, will be headed to the California League to play for the Modesto Nuts. CLICK HERE

MARINERS TOP 100 PROSPECT MICHAEL ARROYO HITS FIRST DOUBLE-A HOME RUN: The Mariners middle infield prospect showed off his power in just his third game with the Arkansas Travelers. CLICK HERE

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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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