Scott Servais announces pitchers for spring training opener vs. the Oakland Athletics on Thursday
On Tuesday, Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais announced that pitchers Marco Gonzales and Justus Sheffield will both pitch in the spring training opener against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.
According to MLB.com’s Greg Johns, Gonzales will pitch the first two innings and Sheffield will pitch innings three and four before turning it over to the bullpen.
Although some may feel like Servais may be tipping his hand on an opening day starter, the Mariners skipper put that to rest.
“There’s so much flexibility. Don’t read too much into things,”Servais told reporters in Arizona. “No decisions have been made yet on how we map this thing out going to Japan, which will be different from when we open up (in Seattle) at T-Mobile. Don’t think too far ahead.”
Gonzales has been with the Mariners since 2017 after coming over via trade from the St. Louis Cardinals. In his time in Seattle, Gonzales has a 14-10 record with a 4.25 ERA and 175 strikeouts.
Sheffield will be throwing for the first time in a Mariners uniform. He was drafted in 2014 by the Cleveland Indians and was sent to the New York Yankees via trade in 2016. He arrived in Seattle in December on 2018 after the M’s traded James Paxton to the Yankees.
Sheffield made three appearances for the Yankees in 2018 but only appeared in 2.2 innings.
The Mariners and Athletics play at Hokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona, starting at 12:05 p.m The game can be heard on 710 ESPN.
This story was originally published February 20, 2019 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Scott Servais announces pitchers for spring training opener vs. the Oakland Athletics on Thursday."
