SEATTLE -- Logan Gilbert reached the exact 60-pitch threshold that the Mariners had forecasted for him when making his second rehab appearance on Wednesday night at Triple-A Tacoma. Now comes the question of whether it will be his final outing in the Minors before returning from the 15-day injured list.
Gilbert surrendered two earned runs on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts over three-plus innings, exiting after hitting the first batter of the fourth with a splitter.
Meanwhile, at T-Mobile Park, the Mariners fell, 3-2, to the Orioles despite another solid start from Emerson Hancock, whose status in the rotation could change once Gilbert returns.
“I don't really look at things like that,” Hancock said, after surrendering one run over 5 2/3 innings. “I just, I want to take advantage of every opportunity I get, and when I get the ball, give the guys the best chance I can, try to get better in between each starts, try to learn from each one. And any time you go out there and take the mound, give those guys everything that I’ve got.”
Gilbert also experienced a slight velocity dip as the outing progressed, sitting above 96 mph throughout the first inning before dropping to the 93 mph range in the fourth. His overall average among the 21 four-seamers that he threw was 95.4 mph, right in line with his season mark before hitting the shelf.
As was the case with his first rehab start last Thursday, he also steered from the strike zone at times with his secondaries -- perhaps to be expected, as was the case when George Kirby was first activated from the IL.
Speaking of Kirby -- who took a 102.7 mph comebacker off his pitching thumb, then his face on Monday -- the righty played catch before Tuesday’s game vs. the Orioles, another promising sign that he avoided a significant injury scare.
As for Gilbert, the Mariners haven’t said yet what his next step will be, but a decision on whether he needs a third rehab outing or is ready to be activated should come soon. Because so far, everything has been on schedule for the 2024 All-Star.
“We’ll continue to reassess and see how he feels,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Monday.
If Gilbert doesn't need another rehab start, it’s possible that he could return as soon as next Tuesday while the Mariners are facing the D-backs in Arizona. At whatever point he’s activated, Seattle will have a decision to make on whom to remove from their rotation, because the club has been steadfast about not going to a six-man group.
Hancock has seemed the likeliest candidate to be optioned, and he’d start on Monday in Arizona if the Mariners remain on turn until then.
But he’s has also been far more consistent since returning from Tacoma after a two-week stint there in April, with his lone blemish on Wednesday coming from his final batter, Adley Rutschman, who took him deep on a middle-middle fastball in a 1-1 count on his 89th pitch.
“Everything that I've been through, it comes back to getting better,” Hancock said, “and how do I get better each start? And each time that I take the mound, what am I looking to improve on? I've always felt like I've been at my best when that's all that matters and you block all the other noise out.”
After the homer, Hancock was relieved by lefty Gabe Speier, who halted O’s slugger Gunner Henderson with an inning-ending strikeout to preserve a 1-1 tie. An inning later, after Seattle took a 2-1 lead, Carlos Vargas took over for Speier with two outs but issued a four-pitch walk and a two-run triple to Heston Kjerstad that put the Mariners behind for good.
Beyond Hancock, the club could also have an interesting decision on Bryce Miller, given that he was just activated from the IL after experiencing inflammation related to a bone spur in his right elbow. Miller has a 5.36 ERA and 4-5 team record, after throwing four innings in Saturday’s walk-off win. He was obviously on a more abbreviated workload (71 pitches) as he continues to build back up after being sidelined for 19 days.
Miller has preached confidence that the spur is something he’ll be able to pitch through for the rest of the season. His next turn would be on Friday in Anaheim.
Gilbert threw 1 2/3 innings in his first start at Tacoma last Thursday, when he was admittedly shaking off some rust.