SEATTLE -- It looks as though the piggyback strategy is once again on hold for the Mariners’ starting rotation.
After announcing on Thursday that the club will re-deploy the tandem of Logan Gilbert and Emerson Hancock for Saturday’s contest, Seattle manager Dan Wilson said Gilbert will get his normal start, as will Hancock on Sunday in the series finale against the Blue Jays.
“We’re sort of reslotting the rotation a little bit to make sure everyone’s fully rested going into and coming out of the break,” Wilson said. “... That’s the approach right now.”
This is the second time the club rerouted its plans for Gilbert and Hancock. It intended to use the duo last Saturday in Cleveland, but it made the same-day adjustment, with Gilbert making his standard start and Hancock doing the same the following day.
“It’s been a long first half-year,” Wilson said. “We’re trying to get everyone slotted to their best that we can in terms of that. We’re just looking at it in different ways.”
It will be a six-man rotation heading into the All-Star break, which takes place July 13-16.
“That’s the way we’re looking at it, at least for the moment,” Wilson added. “As we’ve seen all along, it can change.”
The Mariners have not announced their pitching probables beyond this weekend, with George Kirby originally set to take the mound on Sunday. Seattle has an off-day Monday before a three-game slate against the Marlins starting Tuesday.
When the Mariners unveiled plans to go to a rotation-wide piggyback on June 16, they intended to pair up each of their six starters to go on the front or back end of a paired-up start at least once before the break. Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo went through the first in a June 19 loss to the Red Sox.
The tandem of Miller/Castillo has been the only pair to actually participate in the unique strategy, which the duo has done four times. When it was introduced, Miller was being activated from the injured list and Castillo was amid his early season struggles.
Miller has since emerged as the Mariners’ most consistent starter over the past seven weeks, and Castillo has been far more effective.
And the piggyback has mostly been an effective strategy. Miller and Castillo accounted for 36 of the 37 innings thrown in those four outings, over which the Mariners went 2-2. Part of the holistic strategy was also to give the bullpen -- which is already an arm short due to the club carrying six starters -- a full off-day.
Since the first piggyback game on May 19, Miller has a 1.79 ERA and Castillo has a 3.03 ERA, though that has included three standard starts apiece, too.
Donovan set for rehab assignment
Utility man Brendan Donovan is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday, Wilson announced.
Wilson didn’t clarify with what Minor League affiliate, as both Triple-A Tacoma and Double-A Everett are on the road Tuesday. But during the All-Star break, Donovan will head to the Mariners’ Spring Training complex in Peoria, Ariz., in his return from his left groin muscle strain.
“Definitely working his way back and has finished a lot of baseball activities," Wilson said.
Donovan began the season as Seattle’s everyday third baseman, but the Mariners had always viewed him moving into a more versatile role once Colt Emerson reached the big leagues for good. That just so happened to be the corresponding roster move when Donovan was placed on the IL for the second time on May 17.
Emerson is now entrenched as Seattle’s everyday shortstop, with veteran J.P. Crawford moving off the premium position and to third base full-time.
Julio update
Julio Rodríguez is still feeling the symptoms from taking the hard throw off the back of his helmet on Thursday.
The star center fielder, who was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list Friday, reported to T-Mobile Park on Saturday but is not throwing or hitting.
“The headache is still there and whatnot, but he seems to be moving around OK today,” Wilson said.