The Seattle Mariners have just 12 games left in the season, with upcoming series against the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, and Oakland Athletics. As they approach the final stretch, the Mariners are set to finish their current homestand with a three-game series against the Yankees, starting Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. PT.
Before this critical matchup, the Mariners suffered a significant setback when starting pitcher Luis Castillo was placed on the 15-day injured list on September 10 (retroactive to September 9) due to a left hamstring strain. To adjust for Castillo’s absence, Seattle moved Logan Gilbert into Castillo’s usual spot in the rotation and called up Emerson Hancock from their Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers, to take over Gilbert’s typical No. 5 role. The team made further adjustments, placing Gilbert in a position to close out the Yankees series.
These changes in the pitching rotation could potentially benefit the Mariners in the long term. Under the new setup, Gilbert has already pitched against the Texas Rangers, will close the Yankees series, and is scheduled to face the Houston Astros in the following series.
“We examined the pitching situation and, with Castillo on the IL, we tried to make the most of the options we had,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a pregame interview Tuesday. “Arranging it this way was our plan, and these next 12 games are incredibly important—it’s the stretch. Everything we do now is geared towards making the most of this period.”
Gilbert, a 2024 All-Star, has been a standout for the Mariners this season, posting a 3.24 ERA across 30 starts with 198 strikeouts in 191.2 innings. He is on track to surpass 200 strikeouts and 200 innings pitched before the season ends, assuming no major setbacks occur. If all goes well for the Mariners, Gilbert’s milestones will coincide with a playoff berth, adding extra significance to his performance during these final games.
Seattle hopes that their reshuffled rotation will not only fill the gap left by Castillo but also keep their postseason dreams alive as they navigate these crucial remaining games.
