Seattle Mariners change up starting pitching plans

The Seattle Mariners won’t using a piggyback start on Saturday as they initially planned.

Seattle Sports Mariners insider Shannon Drayer reported Saturday morning that the M’s have decided to change their pitching plans, removing Emerson Hancock from a scheduled piggyback start with Logan Gilbert.

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Gilbert will start Saturday’s matchup against the Cleveland Guardians, which begins at 4:10 p.m. at Progressive Field, and Hancock will start Sunday’s series finale. George Kirby, who was originally slated to pitch Sunday, will now start the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday when the M’s return home to T-Mobile Park.

We have a change with the Mariners rotation…

Gilbert to start tonight
Hancock Sunday
Kirby pushed to Monday.

Today was to be a piggyback day with Gilbert and Hancock.

— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) June 27, 2026

Mariners manager Dan Wilson told reporters before Saturday’s game the club made the decision Friday night in order to get its starters some extra rest.

“We are able to adjust it as we go a little bit in terms of giving guys a little extra rest, so a chance to do that this time,” Wilson said. “It’s a chance to do that this time and we’ll see as we go forward.”

Wilson said the team would continue to be “flexible” with its piggyback strategy.

“We’ll revisit the piggyback at a different time when makes a little bit more sense and we don’t have as many off days” Wilson said. “We made this adjustment here and we’ll continue to work it out and see where it lands us.”

Seattle was in the middle of a plan that featured three scheduled piggyback starts, with all six members of the rotation slated to participate in one of the starts. Bryce Miller and veteran Luis Castillo pitched in the first of the three scheduled piggybacks on June 19.

Breaking up the piggyback start on Saturday means one of the Mariners’ hottest pitchers will have the chance to go as deep into the game as possible Saturday. Gilbert has posted a 1.49 ERA with six runs allowed and 43 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings over this past six starts, which includes allowing one run or fewer five times. Seattle is 6-0 in those starts.

“What he has done lately has been tremendous,” Wilson said.

Hancock will also get the chance for a full start against a Guardians lineup that he held hitless over six shutout innings during his first start of the season on March 29.

Additionally, Kirby will now get to face an Angels team that he dominated against in two starts last season, allowing a combined four runs over 13 1/3 innings while fanning a career-high 14 batters in each start.

Radio coverage of Saturday’s Mariners-Guardians game can be heard on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app starting with the pregame show at 3 p.m. 

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