Surely the team hopes Kirby can continue to be a big part of Seattle’s push to finally end its drought of postseason baseball, and that means picking and choosing when Kirby pitches in order to keep him as fresh as possible for big games in September (or, the M’s hope, even into October).

500 mark and back into the hunt for a wild card berth. With a 14-3 record over their last 17 games, the Mariners have gotten back over the. While some pundits disagree about the old “ Verducci Effect” rule of thumb about the dangers of a big inning increase for young arms, Kirby’s previous season high was 67 2/3 frames in 2021, and of course Kirby didn’t pitch in any official games at all in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season. Between the majors and minors this season, Kirby has tossed 89 total innings - already the most he has tossed over four pro seasons. This will actually be Kirby’s first time at Triple-A ball, as the M’s promoted him straight from Double-A in early May. Between Seattle’s off-day Monday and then the July 18-21 All-Star break, Kirby’s next big league outing likely isn’t coming until late July, though he’ll probably get a couple of brief outings at Triple-A to stay warm. Right-hander George Kirby has been optioned to Triple-A Tacoma, while righty Jacob Barnes’ contract has been selected.Īs noted by The Athletic’s Corey Brock and other reporters, Kirby’s demotion isn’t about performance, but rather the Mariners’ plans to manage his workload. JULY 9: In addition to the six roster moves announced earlier today, the Mariners have also made two more transactions. Kirby is slated to make a short start for Triple-A Tacoma, and he’ll rejoin the Mariners after the All-Star break. Servais noted that the M’s will make a similar move with Kirby later in the season, to further preserve his arm. TODAY: Mariners manager Scott Servais went into more detail on the Kirby option today, telling reporters (including Jen Mueller of Root Sports) that beyond saving Kirby some innings, it also allows the Mariners to add a fresh bullpen arm to the active roster.

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