SEATTLE -- Logan Gilbert will begin a Minor League rehab assignment this week for Triple-A Tacoma, potentially as soon as Thursday at Cheney Stadium vs. Salt Lake, which will represent his final benchmarks before rejoining the Mariners’ rotation.
Gilbert is expected to pitch at least a second rehab outing, too, and remain on a six-day routine for the foreseeable future. That’d put his soonest possible return as June 10 at Arizona, if all goes well.
“How much volume he needs to build in the Minor Leagues will be determined based on how he feels and how it goes,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in a wide-ranging organizational injury update before Seattle’s series opener vs. the Nationals on Tuesday.
Gilbert threw a bullpen session during Monday’s off-day at T-Mobile Park, three days after an up-and-down, two-inning simulated game on Friday in Houston. His first rehab outing with the Rainiers is slated for three innings.
“I don't have any particular goals in mind, other than when he walks off the mound and comes in, he says, ‘I felt great,’” Hollander said.
Hollander also reiterated what Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told MLB.com last weekend in Houston, when asked about the possibility of the Mariners going to a six-man rotation to account for the extra rest that the club plans to allocate to Gilbert, Bryce Miller and George Kirby in the early stages of their returns.
“There may be times where we drop in a sixth starter,” Hollander said, “but I think we will stick with a five-man rotation, at least how we're headed right now.”
Here are the other updates that Hollander provided:
Miller, who also threw a sim game in Houston, joined Gilbert on Monday and said that he “felt good” after his bullpen session. Hollander said that Miller will be activated at some point on this homestand, which runs through June 5.
He also elaborated on the root cause of Miller’s injury, sharing that the right-hander is dealing with a spur in the back of his pitching elbow.
“We felt like he needed to go on the IL for inflammation -- not because the spur existed, but because there was some inflammation,” Hollander said. “We feel like we've taken care of that now. He feels good, so we don't anticipate any further management of that. As we go, obviously you want to make sure that he's not feeling pain or uncomfortable or there's any further inflammation. But we feel like we're in a good place right now.”
Robles has neared the end of the healing part of his recovery and can soon begin rebuilding strength, which could take at least another six weeks before beginning baseball activities.
With that timeline, and the severity of the injury, Hollander estimated that Robles likely won’t return until September -- a later target than what the initial prognosis suggested, but not because Robles experienced a setback.
“He'll have been shut down for a long time,” Hollander said. “At that point, he's going to need quite a bit of build up and strengthening. So it will be a while before we see Victor. ... It's a really tricky injury, and we need to make sure that the fracture is fully healed and stable.”
OF/1B Luke Raley (right oblique strain)
Raley is set to rejoin the team in Seattle on Wednesday and begin ramping up the swinging component to his baseball activities, with the target of beginning a rehab assignment the week of June 3. The slugger spent Seattle’s most recent road trip recovering at the club’s Spring Training facility in Arizona.
“We don't know how long that rehab assignment will be,” Hollander said. “I would anticipate at least a week. It's just been a while, and he's got a build up to nine innings and playing the field and running around.”
RHP Trent Thornton (appendicitis)
Thornton was slated to throw his second full bullpen session on Tuesday, followed by a live batting practice on Friday then a possible rehab assignment.
He’s said in passing that his arm has felt great and that, while he feels ready to return, he’s had to remind himself that, after all, he did just recently undergo emergency surgery to address the unexpected issue.
Minor League recoveries
• RHP Gregory Santos (right knee surgery) has begun a throwing program.
• LHP Tayler Saucedo (left oblique strain) has begun a throwing program.
• RHP Jackson Kowar (Tommy John surgery) could be nearing activation from the IL, having made six appearances for Tacoma.
• SS Felnin Celesten (vertigo) missed nearly two weeks after experiencing dizziness that necessitated a doctor visit, but the Mariners’ No. 4 prospect has since returned to the lineup for Single-A Modesto.