SEATTLE — The Mariners are calling up top pitching prospect George Kirby to take the open spot in the starting rotation.
MLB sources confirmed the decision late Friday evening.
But there is a twist to the situation. There is a strong possibility that Kirby will start on Sunday vs. the Rays with the Mariners re-slotting their rotation and having lefty Robbie Ray pitch on Monday vs. the Phillies.
Mariners manager Scott Servais said Friday they were going to announce the decision before Saturday’s game.
“When we all decide what’s the best time to announce it, we will,” Servais said. “We’re getting close. We have a pretty good idea who it’s going to be. We’ll probably have a clearer idea probably I would think maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow is Saturday, yeah, probably tomorrow I believe.”
With Kirby scheduled to start for Class AA Arkansas on Saturday night, it was easy to predict the Mariners’ decision.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan broke the news early Saturday.
Kirby, the Mariners’ top pitching prospect and No. 12 prospect in all of baseball, per Baseball America, will take the open spot that once belonged to his minor league teammate and good friend Matt Brash. The two pitching prospects battled for the fifth spot in the rotation during spring training with Brash edging out Kirby for the spot in the opening-day rotation. With Brash sent down to Tacoma and being converted to a relief role, the spot is there for Kirby to make his own on a permanent basis.
He certainly doesn’t have much to prove in the Double-A Texas League. In five starts, he’s posted a 2-0 record with a 1.82 ERA. He’s allowed five earned runs in 24 2/3 innings, striking out 32 batters, walking five and allowing three homers.
Kirby was the Mariners’ first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2019 draft out of Elon University. In parts of three minor-league seasons, he’s posted a 7-3 record with a 2.34 ERA in 28 starts and one relief appearance. In 115 1/3 innings pitched, he’s struck out 137 batters with 20 walks.
The Mariners announced another expected and necessary roster move on Saturday morning, placing catcher Tom Murphy on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated left shoulder. Seattle recalled catcher Cal Raleigh from Class AAA Tacoma.
Murphy suffered the dislocation on an awkward tag play in Friday’s 8-7 loss to the Rays. He is expected to miss a significant amount of time with the injury.
Raleigh, 25, was optioned to Tacoma on April 28. In seven games with the Rainiers, he was hitting .286 (8 for 28) with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and two walks.
