SEATTLE -- Logan Gilbert remains on track in his recovery from a mild right elbow flexor strain, as the Mariners’ ace will make his second rehab start on Wednesday night for Triple-A Tacoma at Cheney Stadium.
The Mariners said at the outset that the rehab assignment will consist of at least two starts, and that he’ll remain on a six-day routine for the near term.
Basically, everything has been on schedule for the 2024 All-Star.
“And then we’ll continue to reassess and see how he feels,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said Monday before Seattle’s series opener vs. Baltimore.
If Gilbert only needs the one additional start, it’s possible that he could return as soon as next Tuesday while the Mariners are facing the D-backs in Arizona. At whatever point he’s activated, Seattle will have a decision to make on whom to remove from their rotation, as the club has been steadfast about not going to a six-man group.
Emerson Hancock has seemed the likeliest candidate to be optioned, and he’d start on Monday in Arizona if the Mariners remain on turn until then. But Hancock has also been far more consistent since returning from Tacoma after a two-week stint there in April, with a 4.50 ERA, 6-2 team record and noticeably improved stuff for the past seven weeks.
The club could also have an interesting decision on Bryce Miller, given that he was just activated from the IL after experiencing inflammation related to a bone spur in his right elbow. Miller has a 5.36 ERA and 4-5 team record, after throwing four innings in Saturday’s walk-off win. He was obviously on a more abbreviated workload (71 pitches) as he continues to build back up after being sidelined for 19 days.
Miller has preached confidence that the spur is something he’ll be able to pitch through for the rest of the season. His next turn would be on Friday in Anaheim.
Gilbert threw 1 2/3 innings in his first start at Tacoma last Thursday, when he was admittedly shaking off some rust. He surrendered one earned run on two hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch along with three strikeouts. His fastball velocity sat in the 94-95 mph range and topped out at 96.8 mph. It was more the secondaries that he struggled to locate, which is to be expected for a pitcher returning from a hiatus.