George Kirby (6-7, 3.94 ERA) takes the ball at T-Mobile Park for a 6:40 PM PT first pitch, opposed by Ryan Johnson (1-2, 8.84 ERA) for Los Angeles. The ERA gap between them is glaring, but Johnson's last start reframes things — 6 innings, 0 earned runs, 8 strikeouts, 1 hit against Baltimore was the best outing of his young career, following a stretch at Double-A where he posted a 2.21 ERA across 20-plus innings to earn his recall.
Kirby's last start was competent — 6 innings, 1 earned run on 9 hits against Pittsburgh for the win — but he's a 6-7 pitcher on a team that can't score, and he's been inconsistent enough this season that Seattle can't pencil in a shutdown performance. The Mariners need him to be a stopper Monday night. After what happened in Cleveland, the margin for error is basically zero.
Sunday's loss to Cleveland was the kind that sticks with a team. Seattle held a 4-1 lead heading into the 8th inning, then watched relievers Michael Rucker and Josh Simpson combine to give up 5 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in a single inning — a 6-5 final that knocked the Mariners out of first place for the first time in over a month. The Guardians' Rhys Hoskins hit a 2-run double that sealed it. Meanwhile, the Angels swept a doubleheader against Oakland to finish their own weekend 4-1 over the last 5 games, playing the best baseball they have in weeks for a 36-49 club currently in organizational free fall. The Angels fired GM Perry Minasian on June 27 — his 6th straight losing season — and brought in former Cardinals president John Mozeliak as an interim consultant while they search for new leadership. The chaos off the field hasn't seemed to bother the players on it.
- Day-To-DayNiko Kavadas 1B — The Angels reassigned Kavadas to minor-league camp Wednesday.
- 10-Day-ILMike Trout CF — Trout (hamstring) took 30 swings and ran at about 50 percent intensity Saturday, Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reports.
- 10-Day-ILAdam Frazier 2B — Frazier (elbow) resumed throwing Wednesday, per MLB.com.
- 10-Day-ILSebastian Rivero C — Rivero was removed from Tuesday's game against the Astros with an apparent left hand injury, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILGustavo Campero C — The Angels selected Campero's contract from Double-A Rocket City and placed him on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a fractured hand.
- 15-Day-ILGrayson Rodriguez SP — Rodriguez (back) struck out four and allowed one earned run on five hits and one walk across four innings Sunday in his rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
- 60-Day-ILTravis d'Arnaud C — D'Arnaud (foot) was able to catch from a pitching machine Sunday and has continued to do swinging and throwing in his workouts, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILJack Kochanowicz SP — Kochanowicz's Tommy John surgery on his right elbow was deemed "successful," per MLB.com.
- Day-To-DayDominic Canzone DH — Canzonze is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Guardians in order to rest his ailing right hamstring, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
- Day-To-DayLuke Raley RF — Raley (illness) is starting in right field and batting sixth Tuesday against the Pirates.
- Day-To-DayDane Dunning RP — The Mariners signed Dunning to a minor-league contract Thursday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILBrendan Donovan 3B — Donovan (groin) began a running progression Tuesday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILCooper Criswell RP — Criswell was diagnosed with a Grade 1-plus pectoral strain Tuesday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILMatt Brash RP — General manager Justin Hollander said Tuesday that Brash was diagnosed with a Grade 1 strain in his right lat, Shannon Drayer of SeattleSports.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILCarlos Vargas RP — Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said Tuesday that Vargas (lat) recently began a throwing program and could be ready to return from the 60-day injured list around the Aug. 3 trade deadline, Zac Hereth of 710 AM Seattle Sports reports.
- 60-Day-ILWill Wilson 3B — Wilson (thumb) has gone 3-for-9 with two RBI and a 1:2 BB:K in his first three rehab games between High-A Everett and Triple-A Tacoma.
Mike Trout is still on the 10-day IL with a hamstring issue and was limited to about 50 percent intensity in workouts Saturday — he's not close. The Angels' injury list is deep, including Yoan Moncada (knee surgery, out for the year), Anthony Rendon (hip), Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder), and Jack Kochanowicz (Tommy John), among others. The lineup that's been playing won 4 of 5 anyway. Seattle's side has Brendan Donovan (groin, 10-day IL) out — a significant blow to an infield that has already been one of the weaker offensive units in baseball. With a bullpen that just imploded and an offense scoring fewer than 4 runs in game after game, everything falls on Kirby. When he's right, he can hold a depleted Angels lineup in check. The question is which version shows up.