Mariners abandon piggyback plan for 2nd straight time

For the second time in a week, the Seattle Mariners have made a late change to their pitching plan and abandoned a scheduled Saturday piggyback game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

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Like last weekend, the Mariners have opted to start Logan Gilbert in Saturday’s 1:10 p.m. game, and pushed Emerson Hancock to start Sunday rather than the original plan of Gilbert starting Saturday and Hancock following out of the bullpen in the same game.

It’s the same change the Mariners previously announced on Friday, June 26 for their June 27 game in Cleveland, which initially had Gilbert scheduled to start with Hancock following out of the bullpen.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson said during his media availability prior to Saturday’s game that the change was made to make sure each starting pitcher is fully rested going into and coming out of the MLB All-Star break that is set for July 13-16. He added that it is likely the M’s will stick with a six-man rotation over their eight remaining games until the All-Star break rather than employ another piggyback game.

The Mariners first used Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo in three piggyback starts upon Miller’s return from the injured list in May, then made a brief switch to a six-man rotation of Miller, Castillo, Gilbert, Hancock, Bryan Woo and George Kirby before announcing on June 16 that all six pitchers would take at least one turn in a piggyback game before the All-Star break.

Miller and Castillo executed a fourth piggyback game on June 19 in a loss at home to the Boston Red Sox, and to this point they remain the only Mariners starters to participate in piggyback games this season.

Mariners Radio Network coverage of Saturday’s game is on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app. Click here for details on how to stream the radio broadcast.

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