When the Seattle Mariners open up the regular season on March 27, they will be doing so without one of their leading pitchers.
Mariners GM Justin Hollander revealed to reporters on Friday that right-hander George Kirby has been shut down from throwing due to right shoulder inflammation. Hollander added that, while an MRI on Kirby revealed no structural damage, he will still begin the season on the injured list (per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times).
Kirby, 27, was an All-Star for the Mariners in 2023, going 13-10 with a 3.35 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 31 starts (also finishing eighth in AL Cy Young voting). Last season, Kirby’s numbers were remarkably similar as he went 14-11 with a 3.53 ERA and 179 strikeouts in 33 total starts.
The former first-round draft pick Kirby has been remarkably durable too for Seattle ever since debuting for them in 2022. This will mark the very first IL stint for Kirby in his big-league career.
The Mariners have yet to name an Opening Day starter. But three-time All-Star Luis Castillo got the honors last season and will potentially be in line for a repeat now that Kirby is sidelined. Logan Gilbert is also an option for the Opening Day nod.
In the midst of a 85-77 campaign last year in which they missed the playoffs, Seattle fired longtime manager Scott Servais and replaced him with Dan Wilson. They mostly added to the offensive side of the ball in free agency but will now have to survive the start of the season without their star righty in Kirby (with Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, and Emerson Hancock likely to fill out the rotation behind Castillo and Gilbert).
