SEATTLE – George Kirby is close.
Logan Gilbert is getting there.
The two Mariners starting pitchers continue to make steady progress in their rehab processes, and in brief check-ins Monday afternoon both indicated they’re feeling good and hope to be activated off the injured list in the not-too-distant future.
The Mariners have not specified a timeline for either, and the club has taken a conservative approach with the rehab of two of their most talented arms, prioritizing the pitchers’ long-term health over the club’s short-term needs.
Kirby certainly appears closer to returning to the big-league rotation.
Kirby, who opened the season on the IL with shoulder inflammation, is scheduled to make his third rehab start for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers on Friday in Albuquerque. He threw 54 pitches on Saturday in his second rehab start for Tacoma, allowing three runs in three innings.
During his rehab assignment, Kirby has been on a six-day schedule, and he’s expected to remain on the six-day rotation when he returns to the Mariners – at least initially.
That would potentially put Kirby in line to make his season debut for the Mariners late next week – perhaps as soon as May 22 when they open a series against the Astros in Houston.
Gilbert, diagnosed with a Grade 1 right elbow flexor strain on April 26, threw off a bullpen mound Sunday for the first time since landing on the IL. He said he threw 15 pitches at roughly three-quarters effort and felt good afterward.
He’s scheduled to throw a normal bullpen session Tuesday, marking an important step forward in his rehab.
It’s likely Gilbert would need a rehab assignment at some point to build up his pitch count again. But he said he and the team are simply taking things day-by-day right now.