The first injury of Spring Training for the Seattle Mariners has shut down one of their front-line starters.
George Kirby, the control and command specialist who led the league last year in BB/9, has been shut down from throwing due to shoulder inflammation in his throwing arm per Mariners General Manager Justin Hollander.
Per Hollander, Kirby has been struggling to rebound from his throwing programs and starts in Spring Training thus far, so an MRI was done. Thankfully, the MRI did not show any structural damage to the shoulder, however it did show inflammation in the throwing shoulder.
Although the competitive Kirby fought back at the idea of being shut down, the decision was still made to do so, with Hollander stating it’s “…more of a week-to-week thing than a day-to-day thing”. Hollander also noted that Kirby will “most likely’ start the season on the injured list.
Last season, Kirby managed to be one of the more valuable starting pitchers in the league. In 191 innings, Kirby posted a 3.53 ERA with a league-leading 1.08 walks per nine. Per Fangraphs, Kirby was the most valuable pitcher on the Mariners last season by fWAR.
The most likely replacement for Kirby in the rotation is Emerson Hancock, who has more-or-less assumed a spot-starter role in the last couple seasons. Last season Hancock put up a 4.75 ERA in 12 starts, all of which occurred as a replacement for injured list stints. With this injury occurring before Opening Day, Hancock should slot into the fifth rotation spot.
Health has been a strength for Seattle in the last couple seasons. While it’s felt like most of the league’s arms have been going down every day, the Mariners’ rotation has only missed 21 starts in the last two seasons, with 13 of those occurring last year.
It appears Kirby’s injury is minor for now, and the hope is that he will return in mid-April to have a long, healthy, and productive 2025 season.
Featured Image Credit: AP Photo/Stephen Brashear
Jake Tomasello is the Bat Flips & Nerds Mariners correspondent for 2025 who can be found across social media @RaiseTheTrident
