George Kirby Allows One Earned In No-Decision
George Kirby came back to earth in his second career start on Saturday, allowing three runs in four innings in the no-decision. Only one of the runs was earned, however, as he surrendered three hits and a walk while striking out one in the 89-pitch performance. The 24-year-old held his own against a difficult lineup, so managers should come away from this game with a positive feeling despite not matching his seven-strikeout outing from last weekend. The Mariners will likely cap Kirby's innings and pitch count this season, but he should be rolled out in starting lineups for his next start versus the Red Sox.
Source: MLB.com
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Source: MLB.com
George Kirby Set To Throw Live Batting Practice On Monday
George Kirby (shoulder) is slated to throw live batting practice on Monday. This will be the first time he faces live hitters since being shut down with this shoulder injury in March. The 27-year-old was diagnosed with right shoulder inflammation. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status after his session, as this is an important step in his recovery process. If he continues to perform well, he could eventually be cleared to embark on a rehab assignment in the coming weeks. Last season, the right-hander held a strong 3.53 ERA with an impressive 1.07 WHIP across 191 innings of work. While he only tallied 179 punchouts, his elite control gave him significant value in all formats. When he does return, he will carry a solid SP2 value as he should improve your WHIP ratio.
Source: Daniel Kramer
Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Source: Daniel Kramer
George Kirby To Face Hitters This Week
George Kirby (shoulder), who has been away from the team for almost a full month due to right-shoulder inflammation that caused him to be shut down in early March, is scheduled to face hitters for the first time in a live batting practice at T-Mobile Park this week, a source told MLB.com's Daniel Kramer. The 27-year-old has thrown multiple bullpen sessions at the team's spring training facility in Arizona but is now ready to face live hitters. When Kirby began throwing on March 21, he was hopeful for a late-April return, but now it's looking like he won't make his 2025 season debut until May or June. Until then, the M's expect to continue using right-hander Emerson Hancock in their starting rotation. Fantasy managers need to continue being patient with Kirby and keep him stashed in an injured-list spot in all formats.
Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
Seattle Mariners right-hander Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
George Kirby Could Return In May
George Kirby (shoulder) "felt great" during a bullpen session over the weekend, according to general manager Justin Hollander. Kirby will throw two more bullpens this week and then start a more traditional game progression. The Mariners don't have an official timeline for Kirby to make his 2025 season debut, but it sounds like May is more likely at this point. The 27-year-old started the year on the injured list after being diagnosed with inflammation in his right shoulder back in early March in spring training. It caused most fantasy managers to pass on the former first-rounder in drafts, but he's been making good progress and might only have to miss the first month of the season. Kirby is an elite control artist and will be valuable in all fantasy leagues once he's healthy, but he's also sported a below-average strikeout rate in his three big-league seasons.
Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
Seattle Mariners right-hander Source: MLB.com - Daniel Kramer
George Kirby Playing Catch
George Kirby (shoulder) played catch in camp on Friday. Kirby was diagnosed with right-shoulder inflammation on March 7, and this is the first time he's thrown a ball since then. It's progress, but the 27-year-old will still open the 2025 regular season on the injured list. However, barring a setback now that he's throwing again, he may not miss much time and could make his season debut by mid-April. While Kirby should still be rostered in all fantasy leagues despite the fact he won't be ready for the start of the season, the injury certainly makes him a little less attractive in fantasy drafts this weekend for a pitcher that has had a below-average strikeout rate in his three major-league seasons. Stash him as a No. 3/4 fantasy starter to begin the year.
Source: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
The Seattle Times' Ryan Divish reports that Seattle Mariners right-hander Source: The Seattle Times - Ryan Divish
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