Seattle Mariners Mull Six-Man Pitching Rotation

Taking stock on a day-by-day basis is something that Seattle does and should focus on at this time. The Mariners are coming off a rough road series against the Houston Astros, losing three of four on the road at Daikin Park.

It's possible that Miller could come off the injured list during Seattle's upcoming homestand. Gilbert, though, will need some time to get back into shape so look for him to get a minor league rehab stint.

Seattle looks to use off-days in pitching strategy

The Mariners will have four off-days to work with through June 19, beginning with Monday, May 26, in a span of 25 days. This gives the team a little wiggle room to work with its pitchers.

“We try to keep guys on a six-day routine,” Mariners director of pitching strategy Trent Blank said. “We try to give them something consistent, because we are moving other things. So the one thing I would keep consistent is the amount of rest they have in between, and we're building the other things around it, but just create sole stability for them.”

While the Mariners are mapping out their strategies with the pitching staff, Dipoto realizes that there's an outside chance of a six-man rotation. 

“If you take 32 or 33 starts in a season, you're not really on a five-man rotation,” he said. “There might be five times where you're starting on the fifth day. More often you're starting on the sixth day. So if you bake in a six-man rotation, then everybody's getting two days of rest.”