M’s Notebook: Kirby takes important first step toward return

PEORIA, Ariz. – The long-awaited first glimpse of George Kirby throwing a baseball occurred Friday morning.

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Kirby, who has been sidelined since coming up with shoulder soreness shortly after his only Cactus League start (a one-inning stint on Feb. 26), was permitted to throw to a trainer from 60 feet on Field 1 in Peoria.

Afterward, the Seattle Mariners right-hander told a small group of reporters he wasn’t too focused on the shoulder his first time out.

“I was just kind of getting used to my new cleats,” Kirby answered when asked what he wanted to see from a game of catch. “I went down a half-size. Then, just working the new glove. Wasn’t even thinking about my arm. Just get loose for 20 throws.”

Kirby conceded he would be more focused on how his arm feels when he actually gets back on a pitching mound. For the time being, he’s been putting in the work he is able to in the weight room. While he may be known for being ultra-competitive and a guy who fights for the ball, he is being pragmatic about his current situation.

“Never feels good hearing that you’ve got to sit out, take some time, but the more you understand it’s better for the long-term, which I know, it’s just frustrating at the beginning,” Kirby said. “I want to be healthy all year. I want to be healthy in the playoffs. It’s good we did what we did.”

Kirby also recognizes there is a silver lining in that innings not pitched at the start of the season could result in him having more at the end.

“It might be a situation where guys who got five or six more starts than I did, I might be feeling a little better in October,” Kirby said. “I’m just excited for when that happens.”

Realistically, Kirby sees himself returning in late April. Having missed almost all of Cactus League play, that seems like a realistic target if all continues to go well. He should be given the chance to build to around the 80-pitch mark like his fellow starters. For now, he is hopeful he will be permitted to throw from 75 feet on Saturday.

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Notes

• Logan Gilbert made his final start of the spring, throwing 5 2/3 innings in Seattle’s 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday. He allowed three runs on four hits, while walking one and striking out seven.

“I feel good,” Gilbert said after throwing 79 pitches. “I wanted to get to all of my pitches and have them feel like they were where I want them to be. We went to the splitter late and that felt really good. The curveball, we wanted to get to today, that felt good. And the fastball and slider are usually there, so I felt like I did everything I wanted.”

Gilbert said he is looking forward to getting back to Seattle and feeling the energy from the fans in the ballpark. He is also looking forward to a different pitching environment from the one he has been pitching in the last month.

“The pitches play a little bit different (at home), which I like better,” Gilbert said. “In Arizona, the air is not as great here. The curve and splitter usually benefit from going up there.”

It’s been a good spring for Gilbert, who leaves Arizona with two new titles. The first: Opening Day starter. The other? Well, he did beat blazing-fast Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz in a footrace while covering the first-base bag in Friday’s game. So…

“I’m now the fastest player in the league,” Gilbert declared with a big smile.

Gilbert said he now gets bragging rights over Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo.

“I just wanted to show off for my friends,” Gilbert said with a laugh.

• Jorge Polanco has remained hot with the bat, recording two hits on Friday.

The first came in a terrific at-bat against Hunter Greene, who will be the Reds’ Opening Day starter. Greene, who averaged 99 mph on his fastball and touched 100 several times, started Polanco with a 100.1 mph fastball that was fouled off. Greene then threw four straight breaking balls – two that Polanco fouled off, and two out of the strike zone. On the sixth pitch, Polanco got a second shot at the fastball and knocked it 99.7 mph to right field for a single.

“He’s not getting fooled,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “When he hits the ball, it’s not a cheap hit. He’s finding a barrel. He’s pulling a lot of balls into right field left-handed. He’s hitting the ball the other way. Right-handed, his swing looks just as good. It’s a lot of solid contact. He seems to be in a really good spot in terms of his timing and where he needs to be.”

• Wilson confirmed the Mariners’ starting rotation order. Here’s what it looks like for their first five games of the regular season.

March 27: Logan Gilbert (vs. Athletics)
March 28: Luis Castillo (vs. Athletics)
March 29: Bryce Miller (vs. Athletics)
March 30: Bryan Woo (vs. Athletics)
March 31: Emerson Hancock (vs. Detroit)

• Luis Castillo makes his final Cactus League start on Saturday against the Chicago White Sox in Glendale.

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