SEATTLE -- Kade Anderson arrived at T-Mobile Park on Friday afternoon and so seamlessly looked right at home.
It comes a little over 13 months removed from being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the MLB Draft, but he was here a day early to get acclimated among a group he already knows well from his extended look in Spring Training.
“I think he could definitely create a different continuity, a different mix and create some spark,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.
The Mariners had long anticipated a 2026 arrival for the left-handed face of the future, and now proved to be the right time given the status of Bryan Woo, who was pushed back from this weekend’s series altogether as he continues to nurse his right shoulder.
Woo experienced discomfort in the area during his most recent start -- last Sunday’s win in Houston -- and the club will take the next two days to determine when he’ll be reinstalled. The Mariners do not anticipate that Woo will necessitate a stint on the injured list, and he has not undergone imaging.
Whether he’s back during their next series ahead the Phillies, from Monday through Wednesday, or on Seattle’s upcoming road trip through Toronto then Boston, beginning Friday, is still TBD.
“We expect him, at the most, to skip his next start,” Wilson said.
Bryce Miller will remain on turn to start Sunday’s series finale. The Mariners anticipate going to a six-man rotation for the immediate future, pending Woo’s status, but will assess as they move forward.
“We'll continue to talk about that and see what will make the most sense for us going forward. And once I think once we get Bryan slotted in, we'll be able to figure out exactly how we're going to proceed from there.”
They’ve long preferred a standard five-man, which was part of why they were comfortable dealing Luis Castillo to the White Sox ahead of the Trade Deadline. But they’ve also had multiple points this summer where a few arms necessitated extra rest, including Miller, George Kirby and now Woo.
“That always can be advantageous, especially this time of year,” Wilson said. “Guys are a little bit more banged up. They're a little bit more tired, and giving them an extra day can always help at some point down the line.”
The Mariners have an off-day this Thursday, and three more the rest of the season (Sept. 7, 17, 21). While it may not seem like much, once those become closer together, it could complicate the outlook of a six-man. In the past, they’ve preferred to not have too long of a layoff between each arm’s starts.
Regardless, it appears that Anderson is here to stay for good. If it wasn’t this weekend, he almost certainly would’ve been called up when rosters expand from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1.
“Where we're at with this season, and how we feel like this last month-plus of baseball shapes up, and I think Kade is a guy that can really help us in that department.” Wilson said. “And I'm excited, to get him out there tomorrow to get that started.”
In his first pro season, Anderson has been the best pitcher in the Minors. Among 229 arms with at least 90 innings, the former LSU standout ranks first in ERA (1.06), WHIP (0.64) and OPS against (.399), with a 40.5% strikeout rate and 3.9% walk rate.
He accumulated 93 1/3 innings at Double-A Arkansas, and a loose full-season target might be in the range of 135, giving him ample runway to contribute heavily as needed down the stretch.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that his debut will be the most anticipated in franchise history among pitchers since Félix Hernández in 2005.
On the bullpen front, the club reinstated Carlos Vargas from the 60-day IL, optioned Nick Davila to Triple-A Tacoma and transferred Matt Brash to 60-day IL.
The latter was to create a 40-man roster spot for Vargas, who’s been out since Opening Day, and it will not impact Brash’s timeline recovering from a right lat strain, as he’s still eligible to be activated whenever he’s ready.
Anderson will also necessitate someone to be removed from the 26- and 40-man rosters on Saturday. Presumably, that would be journeyman lefty Jhonathan Díaz.