Seattle Mariners Activate Former All-Star Pitcher George Kirby From Injured List

Thursday will be the first time Kirby has pitched in a major league contest since a spring training game against the Athletics on Feb. 26. He was shut down on March 7 with right shoulder inflammation. It was the first time Kirby has had a stint on the injured list since making his major league debut in 2022.

Kirby made three rehab appearances for Tacoma this season. He had a 7.20 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 innings pitched.

Kirby threw 64 pitches in his latest rehab start with the Rainiers on March 16. Seattle manager Dan Wilson said Kirby will be limited to 75-80 pitches in his debut on Thursday.

Kirby had a 3.53 ERA in 2024 with 179 strikeouts in 191 innings pitched across 33 starts. His number of outings were tied with team ace Logan Gilbert for the most starts on the team and his ERA was 13th among qualified American League pitchers last season.

Kirby is considered one of the best command pitchers in the league. He has a career 7.6 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is the highest mark in that category in MLB history.

The Mariners have had three starting pitchers land on the 15-day injured list this season. They were the only pitching staff in baseball last season to have four pitchers start 30 or more games, and it seems like their fortunes are finally turning for the better.