SEATTLE -- The logjam within the Mariners’ soon-to-be-healthy rotation saw its first transactional movement on Wednesday, with rookie Logan Evans getting optioned to Triple-A Tacoma one day after pitching an eight-inning gem and lifting Seattle to victory.
The move was to add a fresh arm to the bullpen -- veteran Jackson Kowar, who was activated from the 60-day injured list and who made his Mariners debut following a long road back from Tommy John surgery with a scoreless sixth inning in Wednesday’s 9-0 loss to the Nationals.
The roster move was also in preparation for Bryce Miller returning from the 15-day IL. The Mariners haven’t announced when Miller will be reinstalled, but general manager Justin Hollander said on Tuesday that it will be at some point on this homestand.
The timing of Evans’ departure is a little awkward, given that his outing less than 24 hours prior was arguably Seattle’s best of the season. But even he’d publicly recognized that his stint in The Show wouldn’t be for the remainder of the season.
“As we talked to him, I hope he has garnered a lot of confidence from what he has done here and all the success that he had,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said, “and taking that as a foundation to continue to build on.”
Evans -- Seattle's No. 10 prospect -- carried a 2.83 ERA over 35 innings across six starts, with 25 strikeouts and six walks, while the Mariners went 4-2 in his outings after he was called up when Logan Gilbert went on the IL on April 26.
It was a strong enough impression that has the Mariners eager for what could develop into the next success story among their homegrown arms, joining the likes of Gilbert, Miller, George Kirby and Bryan Woo.
“Pitching has been a strength here for a long time, and he has certainly been a guy that has continued to make huge strides throughout the Minor Leagues and throughout his development,” Wilson said. “And this was obviously a huge step for him. And I think we all know that he will continue to get better and better as he performs down in Tacoma now.”
Tuesday’s outing was the longest any Seattle starter has made this season, and by far the longest of Evans’ pro career since he was selected in the 12th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He needed just 88 pitches to reach eight innings, surrendering just a solo homer to James Wood.
“Really, when I got drafted here -- I've said this in the past -- but they just simplified so much for me,” Evans said Wednesday, before the roster move. “And I stopped trying to be too perfect.”
Kowar’s activation from the IL represented a feel-good story, as the right-hander joined the Mariners in the big leagues for the first time since he was acquired in the 2023-24 offseason. He relieved Kirby on Thursday after the 2023 All-Star suffered another shaky start, surrendering three solo homers and another three-spot with two outs in the fourth.
“I just didn't really quite execute as well as I wanted to with two outs there,” Kirby said. “I was probably just trying a little too hard with some pitches, aiming a little bit and yeah, I've just got to do better with two outs. That's really what it is.”
Kowar was one of the returning players in Seattle’s big trade with Atlanta that sent Jarred Kelenic, Marco Gonzales and Evan White to the Braves at that year’s Winter Meetings, when the organization was attempting to shed salary in order to reinvest in other offensive personnel. But Kowar, who was a front-runner for a bullpen spot the following Spring Training, tore his UCL before breaking camp.
Kowar might be new to the T-Mobile Park dugout, but his long road to recovery -- which included bonding with leverage reliever and fellow TJ patient Matt Brash -- made him a familiar face upon arriving on Wednesday.
“It's been really nice to kind of have someone go before you, kind of see his stuff,” Kowar said. “So it was a lot easier, honestly, for me to kind of map it out, to see him go before me, and see someone who did the same thing as me come out and have great success right away.”
Kowar made six rehab appearances at Tacoma after two in the Arizona Complex League, with the final hurdle being the ability to pitch thrice in a five-day span as he prepares for a big league workload.
“Obviously, you want to look at the velo, so that felt great, where it was just back where I was,” Kowar said. “And then for me, a newer breaking ball that had some really good success. And to be able to see the swings on that Triple-A, I think, is helpful. I kind of broke it out early last spring, then didn't have a lot of chances to see much of it.”