Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller set Tuesday piggyback plan
luis castillo and Bryce Miller are lined up to share Tuesday’s home game against the Chicago White Sox, with the Mariners planning a piggyback start for their next turn through the rotation. Manager Dan Wilson said Friday the club will use the two right-handers together, a move that reshapes how Seattle handles two rotation spots after Miller’s return.
Wilson sets the rotation plan
“That’s the approach we’re going to take and we’re ready to roll,” Wilson said Friday. He added, “I think our guys are in a good spot in terms of getting an extra day here, and I think that’s gonna come up huge for some of these guys.”
The Mariners have not yet decided which pitcher will start the game, but both are scheduled to be available Tuesday. Miller will have had five days of rest, while Castillo will have had the typical four days.
Miller returns to Houston
Miller made his season debut Wednesday night in Houston and worked 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball on 81 pitches. Castillo followed Thursday in the Astros series finale and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings.
Those outings set up the club’s first real test of the piggyback idea. Wilson said, “This is something that we haven’t done before, so it’s going to be a lot of waiting and seeing and understanding and assessing and making our adjustments as we go.” He also said, “But in theory, you can lay it out, and you just don’t know how it’s actually going to play out.”
Castillo and Hancock in Seattle
The plan comes after one turn through a six-man rotation following Miller’s return. Emerson Hancock has kept a spot in the rotation with a breakout start to his season, going 3-2 with a 3.02 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 10 walks and 53 2/3 innings in nine starts.
Castillo’s place had come into question after seven starts from April 5 through May 9, when he posted a 7.79 ERA over 32 1/3 innings and opponents hit.329 against him. His latest start against Houston was viewed as a step forward for the three-time All-Star and the highest-paid pitcher on the Mariners’ roster.
Wilson said Miller and Castillo both accepted the decision. “I think they were definitely in a good spot with it and understand it,” he said. “And I think these guys, as we’ve talked about, these guys in this clubhouse, all of them want to do what’s best for the team.” The immediate payoff could be a lighter night for the bullpen if the game flow cooperates, but the club will have to make those adjustments once Tuesday arrives.
