Mariners make roster move that may signal rare rotation change

All signs point to the Seattle Mariners changing up their starting rotation for a second time already this season. And this one could be very interesting.

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The Mariners have optioned Luis F. Castillo to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers after he made his second start in six days for Seattle, and they now may be able to forego using a fifth starter for a while.

Castillo, who has confusingly started in the rotation in the next game after the more established Mariners pitcher also named Luis Castillo started, allowed three earned runs on six hits and five walks over four innings in Wednesday’s Mariners win. He also threw three innings at San Francisco on April 4, allowing three earned runs on six hits and two walks.

The Mariners called up Luis F. Castillo to take the place of fellow right-hander Emerson Hancock in the rotation last week. Hancock began the season on the big league roster in place of George Kirby, who is working his way back from shoulder inflammation that resulted in the one-time All-Star being shut down in spring training. But Hancock managed to get just two outs in his lone start of the year and was optioned the following day to the Rainiers.

It’s possible that Hancock, who is in line to start for the Rainiers on Saturday, could be on his way back to the Mariners. But the open spot in Seattle’s rotation won’t be up again until potentially next Wednesday, April 16 at Cincinnati.

Even then, a fortuitous schedule full of off days in the coming weeks means the M’s to make due with a four-man rotation for a while.

A look at Seattle’s schedule shows that the Mariners could keep their four healthy starters all on schedule – with regular rest of at least four days between starts – into mid-May because they won’t have a stretch of more than six days straight with games until May 16-25.

In the meantime, the Mariners now have an open spot on their 26-man roster ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Texas Rangers, which they will likely fill with an extra arm in the bullpen until at least next week.

Who starts?

It will be worth keeping an eye on Kirby’s rehab in the coming weeks. He threw a bullpen session last weekend and “felt great,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said Monday. Kirby was scheduled to throw two more bullpens this week and then begin a “spring training-type game progression.”

It’s now possible that, if all goes according to plan, Kirby could be ready to return to the rotation by the time the Mariners need a fifth starter again. Likely? Maybe not. But certainly possible.

If the M’s decide to bring up another starter in the meantime, Hancock and prospect Logan Evans are both possibilities. The 25-year-old Hancock, a 2020 first-round MLB Draft pick, allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over five innings in his first start with Tacoma on April 5 against Reno, striking out five along the way. Evans, 23, has made three starts for the Rainiers so far this year, most recently on Wednesday when he held Sacramento to one run on two hits and no walks with seven strikeouts in six innings.

The Mariners return to action at 6:40 p.m. Friday with a series opener against Texas at T-Mobile Park, with Bryce Miller set to duel with Rangers ace Jacob deGrom. Radio coverage on Seattle Sports will begin at 5:30 with the pregame show.

More on the Seattle Mariners

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• Salk: Will first series win set Mariners off in right direction?
• Three things stand out from Mariners’ start
• Watch: Randy slam, Julio’s big hit lead Mariners over Astros
• Rangers lose slugger to IL ahead of series vs Seattle Mariners

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