The Seattle Mariners are facing challenges this spring, contending with public criticism from a former player and a major injury to a key member of their pitching rotation.
Justin Turner, acquired by the Mariners from the Toronto Blue Jays at last year’s trade deadline, criticized the team for failing to add a powerful hitter during the offseason, despite a free-agent pool that included stars like Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander, and Alex Bregman.
“It’s absurd to me that they missed the playoffs by one game and didn’t add an impact bat or two when they have the best pitching staff in baseball,” Turner told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
Although Turner wanted to return to Seattle, he wasn’t offered a contract, leading him to sign a one-year, $6 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
“Honestly, as much as I wanted to be back there, if I was the only piece they brought back in, I’d be asking, ‘What the hell are we doing? Are you even trying?’ There’s no better time to go for it. I’m very confused. It’s a head-scratcher for me,” Turner added.
Turner’s frustration stems from Seattle’s weak offense. Last season, the Mariners ranked 29th in batting average (.224), 22nd in OPS (.687), 21st in runs scored (676), and led the league in strikeouts (1,625). This struggling offense contrasts with one of the strongest rotations in baseball, featuring Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Luis Castillo, Bryce Miller, and Bryan Woo.
Now, the team’s pitching staff has taken a significant hit.
All-Star pitcher most likely to begin season on injured list
The Mariners announced Friday that George Kirby, an All-Star in 2023, has been shut down due to shoulder inflammation and is expected to begin the season on the 15-day injured list.
“George Kirby hasn’t been feeling great after his outings. He’s still throwing well, with expected velocity, but he hasn’t been bouncing back as well as we’d like. We did an MRI, and it looks great — no structural concerns whatsoever, and I’ll repeat that: zero structural concerns.
There’s just some inflammation that needs to be addressed, so, much to George’s disappointment, we’re going to take the ball out of his hands,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander told reporters, according to MLBTradeRumors.com.
Hollander added that Kirby’s injury is considered more of a “week-to-week” situation.
“We just want to make sure we’re doing the right thing for the long-term health of the season, rather than worrying about Opening Day,” Hollander said.
While there’s no structural damage to Kirby’s shoulder, Mariners fans can rest easy, though there’s no clear timeline for his return. This marks the first time Kirby will be placed on the injured list in his career.
During Kirby’s absence, the Mariners can turn to options like former first-round pick Emerson Hancock, Blas Castano, and Logan Evans.
Kirby is coming off a solid 2024 season, making 33 starts and pitching 191 innings. He posted a 3.53 ERA, 104 ERA+, a 1.068 WHIP, and struck out 179 batters while walking only 23 — leading MLB with a remarkable 1.1 walks per nine innings. However, he did allow a league-high 181 hits.
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