Walker Buehler's 5.20 ERA is the headline number, and his last outing didn't exactly torch it — he cruised through 11 straight Cardinals before Jordan Walker took him deep for a two-run shot. The stuff has flashes. The damage innings keep showing up. Against a Mariners lineup missing its switch-hitting MVP-runner-up catcher, this is the kind of start where Buehler either looks fixed or looks like the guy San Diego has been worrying about all year.
Gilbert, meanwhile, threw 6 scoreless with 9 strikeouts against the White Sox on May 10 and the Mariners lost anyway. That's been the season — he ran his ERA down to 3.78 and the offense keeps wasting it. Now they're asking him to carry a lineup that just had Raleigh shut down for a week with a right oblique strain, with Patrick Wisdom and Victor Robles also on the shelf.
- Day-To-DayBlake Hunt (C) — Hunt is dealing with an oblique injury and has been shut down from activity, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.05/08
- 7-day ilJake Cronenworth (2B) — The Padres placed Cronenworth on the 7-day concussion injured list Tuesday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILLuis Campusano (C) — The Padres placed Campusano on the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a left toe fracture.05/08
- 15-Day-ILMatt Waldron (SP) — The Padres placed Waldron on the 15-day injured list Friday due to a right brachialis muscle injury.05/15
- 15-Day-ILGerman Marquez (SP) — Marquez (forearm) is scheduled to begin a throwing program in mid-May, per MLB.com.05/15
- 15-Day-ILNick Pivetta (SP) — Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters Wednesday that Pivetta was diagnosed with a right flexor strain, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.05/08
- OutYu Darvish (SP) — Darvish (elbow) revealed Tuesday in a social media post that he has resumed playing catch.05/12
- 60-Day-ILJhony Brito (RP) — Brito (forearm) struck out seven and allowed one earned run on two hits and one walk across three innings Thursday in a rehab start in the rookie-level Arizona Complex League.05/11
- 60-Day-ILJoe Musgrove (SP) — The Padres transferred Musgrove (elbow) to the 60-day injured list on Thursday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILBryan Hoeing (RP) — The Padres transferred Hoeing (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.05/08
- Day-To-DayTeddy McGraw (SP) — McGraw is working his way back from right elbow issues, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILCal Raleigh (C) — The Mariners will shut Raleigh (oblique) down for a week before re-evaluating him, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.05/16
- 10-Day-ILPatrick Wisdom (1B) — The Mariners placed Wisdom on the 10-day injured list Friday due to a left oblique strain, retroactive to Wednesday.05/08
- 10-Day-ILVictor Robles (RF) — Robles (pectoral) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Tacoma on Sunday, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.05/08
- 10-Day-ILWill Wilson (3B) — The Mariners placed Wilson on the 10-day injured list Saturday due to a fractured left thumb.05/08
- 15-Day-ILMatt Brash (RP) — Brash (lat) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.05/14
- 15-Day-ILGabe Speier (RP) — The Mariners placed Speier on the 15-day injured list Monday with left shoulder inflammation, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.05/08
- 60-Day-ILMiles Mastrobuoni (3B) — Seattle transferred Mastrobuoni (calf) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILLogan Evans (SP) — The Mariners placed Evans (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday.05/08
- 60-Day-ILCarlos Vargas (RP) — Vargas (lat) has suffered a setback in his recovery, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.05/08
The injury sheets are the real story of this series. The Padres are starting Buehler because Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Nick Pivetta, German Marquez and Matt Waldron are all hurt. That's basically a full rotation in street clothes. Seattle's catching room just got gutted too. Whoever's behind the plate Tuesday is calling a game for Gilbert without his battery mate of the last however-many years.
The market has Seattle at -161 on the moneyline and the total sitting at 7. The sharp side and the public side actually agree on the home team here — Pinnacle has the Mariners as solid favorites and DK money is piling on the same way. Both sides of every market grade out as small negative-EV plays, which is the polite way of saying nothing on this card screams bet me. Pick a side because you like the matchup, not because the number is begging you in.