Soriano (8-4, 3.32 ERA) looked like the best pitcher in baseball through April — a 0.28 ERA through his first 5 starts is not a typo — but since May he has posted a 4.93 ERA. His June 24 start against Baltimore lasted 3 innings, 5 earned runs, and 69 pitches. Woo (6-6, 4.26 ERA) matched that outing in almost every way: June 24 against Pittsburgh, 4 innings, 5 earned, a loss. Two pitchers who both need a reset start, and exactly one can get one tonight.
The Angels have bigger problems than this pitching matchup. Los Angeles fired GM Perry Minasian last Friday and installed John Mozeliak as interim, in the middle of a road trip, heading into what could be their 11th straight losing season. Mike Trout remains on the 10-day IL with a hamstring strain, running sprints at only 50 percent intensity as of Saturday. The Mariners are at .500 (43-43), half a game out of first place in the AL West, and Monday's win pulled them even with Texas in the loss column. This homestand has real stakes.
Seattle went 1-3 in Cleveland before coming home, so the energy from Monday night matters. The Mariners also get an off day Wednesday — Lumen Field's neighbor is hosting a FIFA World Cup match, and the logistics aren't exactly baseball-friendly — which makes tonight's 6:40 PM PT first pitch the last chance to build a cushion before the series pauses. The Angels have gone 3-2 in their last 5, but 2 of those wins came in a doubleheader against Oakland. Sweeping the A's in a doubleheader and beating Kirby at home are not the same challenge.
- 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-DayLuke Raley RF — Raley (forearm) remains out of the lineup for Monday's contest versus the Angels.
- 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) ran sprints on the field Monday and will be re-evaluated after the Mariners' homestand to determine whether he's ready to begin a rehab assignment, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
- 10-Day-ILRob Refsnyder DH — The Mariners placed Refsnyder (knees) on the 10-day injured list Monday, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times 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.
Both rosters are banged up, but Los Angeles has the worse of it. The Angels are missing Trout, Jack Kochanowicz (Tommy John surgery), Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder), Yoan Moncada (knee surgery), and multiple relievers including Robert Stephenson and Ben Joyce. Seattle's IL has its own names — Brendan Donovan (groin), Rob Refsnyder (knees, just placed on IL Monday), Luke Raley (forearm) — but the Mariners have enough lineup depth to absorb the losses. An Angels offense without Trout is one of the quieter attacks in the American League, and Soriano needs to be on to compensate. His last outing showed he isn't there yet.