George Kirby aiming to return earlier than expected for Mariners

The original prognosis was that George Kirby would miss the first month of the upcoming season, but he has designs on returning sooner.

When the news first came out that George Kirby was headed to the Injured List with shoulder inflammation, the projection was that he would not be back until early May. Well, now it would seem he will return sooner, at least according to the pitcher himself.

Even though Kirby will remain in Arizona for his rehab while his teammates return to Seattle for the beginning of the season, he is aiming not to be too far behind them. As per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times, he said:

“It sucks just watching and not being able to do the same. … I’m hoping to get back up there by the middle of April.”

While this is of course theoretically good news, Kirby will not have it all his own way in getting back to action. He had actually wanted to continue pitching after his MRI revealed no structural concerns, and the Mariners medical staff had to insist he shut it down and work on getting the inflammation out.

George Kirby itching to get back on the mound

In fairness the 27-year-old has done as he was asked, but he’s understandably frustrated and eager to get going again, to at least start playing catch. When asked about the chances of this happening in the next few days, also as per Divish, Mariners manager Dan Wilson said:

“Each day he’s getting closer and closer. I know he’s ready to go.”

In an attempt to speed up Kirby’s recovery, he received a “biologics” injection shortly after being diagnosed with his shoulder inflammation. At the same time the Mariners are remaining extremely careful with the 2023 MLB All-Star, knowing full well how important he is long-term to the team’s chances of returning to the playoffs this season after a two-year absence.

Last season the Mariners statistically had the top rotation in all of baseball, as they ranked first in quality starts, combined innings pitched, ERA, WHIP, fewest walks and opposing team batting average. They are once again expected to be one of the best rotations again, and Kirby is key to this.

• Mariners complete strong road trip but Matt Brash causes concern
• Key Takeaways from Seattle Storm’s Thrilling Preseason Match
• FIFA Empowers Afghan Women Footballers with Historic Regulation Change
• Seahawks 2026 Draft: Analysis of Key Picks and Strategies
• Key Stats from Seattle Storm vs Golden State Valkyries Preseason Clash

Integral to the Mariners’ rotation

No one has command of the baseball in the Majors quite like the righty, who in each of the past two seasons has led all qualifying starters in fewest walks allowed per nine innings and best strikeouts-to-walks ratio. He has also proved to be extremely durable in that time, averaging 32 starts per campaign.

For however long Kirby is out, Emerson Hancock is expected to take his place in the Mariners rotation. He has shown some improvement as spring training has progressed, but he still has plenty to do in general to prove why he was selected sixth overall in the 2020 MLB draft.

How optimistic are you that George Kirby will indeed return to Seattle when he is hoping for? In any event, how long do you think the Mariners can realistically afford to do without his services at the beginning of the 2025 season? Let us know in the comments section below.