Mike Leake scratched from Mariners start, Ross Detwiler selected from Triple-A
Mike Leake missed his first start for the Seattle Mariners this season.
The Mariners announced they were removing him from his scheduled start less than two hours before Tuesday’s game time against the Houston Astros because of an illness, which meant a Tampa Bay Rays-inspired “opener” appearance for right-handed reliever Nick Vincent.
It was Vincent’s first career start.
But Seattle had help on the way from Triple-A Tacoma because left-handed starter Ross Detwiler was scratched from his scheduled start with the Rainiers to make his way up I-5.
Yes, that Ross Detwiler, the former sixth overall pick by the Washington Nationals in 2007 who hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since Sept. 28, 2016 – when he allowed eight runs in 2 2/3 innings while pitching for the Oakland Athletics.
The 32-year-old Detwiler was scheduled to start for Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday. The Mariners designated infielder Zach Vincej for assignment to make room for Detwiler on their 40-man roster, and right-hander Chasen Bradford was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to clear space on the 25-man roster.
Leake had made each of his 25 starts this season with an 8-7 record and 3.90 ERA. He leads the Mariners in innings pitched this year (154 2/3) and is less than six innings shy of surpassing the Mariners’ leader for innings pitched last season – left-hander Ariel Miranda (160 innings).
Vincent had appeared in 335 games in his seven-year career but never stared one before Tuesday. The Rays had all but trademarked the use of “openers”, a reliever who throws the first inning but is pulled for a starter after that.
The idea behind such a play is so an experienced reliever can get through the top of the opposing team’s lineup and its best hitters and allow the “starter” to ease his way in against the bottom of the order.
Coincidentally, the Astros were also going with a bullpen day with right-hander Brad Peacock (2-4, 3.19 ERA) starting for the first time this season.
Detwiler is 2-5 with a 5.15 ERA in 11 starts (14 appearances) with Triple-A Tacoma this season. He allowed four runs and six hits with no strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings his most recent outing for the Rainiers on Thursday against Fresno (the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate). Before that he had gone three consecutive outings of at least six innings and allowed four runs over 18 1/3 innings.
Iwakuma progressing
Remember Hisashi Iwakuma? The 31-year-old from Japan who threw a no-hitter just over three seasons ago and was third in the American League Cy Young voting in 2013?
He was on Safeco Field’s mound again on Tuesday afternoon, pitching to Ichiro.
Iwakuma has endured so many progression and setbacks this season that it’s hard to keep track anymore after he underwent offseason arthroscopic debridement surgery on his right throwing shoulder and missed all but six starts last season dealing with it. But Tuesday he threw 20 pitches of live batting practice after a bullpen session in front of Mariners’ pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. and insisted he hasn’t mailed in a chance to pitch in a game sometime this year.
“I’m still looking forward to coming back as soon as I can,” Iwakuma said through translator Antony Suzuki. “I’m not thinking of the future now, it’s more about what I can get out of where I’m at right now. I’m not even thinking about next year – I’m thinking about how I can recover and come back soon.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hisashi Iwakuma just finished a live BP session at Safeco Field with Ichiro batting. Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre talking to him now. <a href="https://t.co/XFayVQ2BAG">pic.twitter.com/XFayVQ2BAG</a></p>— TJ Cotterill (@TJCotterill) <a href="https://twitter.com/TJCotterill/status/1032027160075153408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
Hey, it’s not like the Mariners couldn’t use some help in their starting rotation about now.
The Mariners were adamant in spring training that they believed Iwakuma could be their “secret weapon” by about June, and Mariners manager Scott Servais knows Iwakuma’s doctor who performed the shoulder surgery, and every indication he received is that Iwakuma could pitch this year.
He’s been close to rehab assignments before, but his recovery is typically what’s gone awry. This, though, he said is the best he’s felt in a while.
“I feel like I’m making bigger steps now,” Iwakuma said. “It’s been a stage of trials and errors, going up and down. Two steps forward, five steps backward.
“I’m starting to feel more hope and a light in the tunnel,” he said. “I think it shows from just looking at my body. It’s bouncing back and as long as it bounces back I know that my stuff is still there. I just need to turn it up a few more notches and hopefully I’ll be ready to go.”
Nicasio’s return?
Servais said he met with right-handed reliever Juan Nicasio (right knee inflammation) on Tuesday about his chances of returning to the Mariners before the season ends.
“We are very hopeful he can come back and join our bullpen again,” Servais said. “Obviously he’s been out a little while so it will take him a while to get his arm strength back, but for a bullpen guy for what he does for an inning, I think he would be very helpful for us in September.
“So I just tried to talk to him to see if he’s up for that and where he’s at knee-wise. I’m not quite sure where that’s going to go yet.”
Nicasio has a 6.00 ERA in 42 innings pitched after signing with the Mariners this offseason. He led the National League with 76 appearances between the Cardinals, Pirates and Phillies last year, when he had a 2.61 season ERA.
Short hops
Designated hitter Nelson Cruz wasn’t in Tuesday’s lineup after suffering back spasms in the Mariners’ 7-4 win over the Astros on Monday, with Cruz hitting a double in the game. Robinson Cano started at designated hitter in his place.
Chris Herrmann was back at catcher despite exiting Sunday’s loss to the Dodgers early with a bruised knee caused by a foul ball.
Left-hander James Paxton (bruised forearm) continued his throwing progression Tuesday, extending his long toss with Stottlemyre past 100 feet. The Mariners are eying activating him off of the disabled list sometime next week either in San Diego or Oakland.
On tap
Left-hander Marco Gonzales (12-8, 3.91 ERA) will start for the Mariners after they skipped his scheduled Sunday start for extra rest. He’s already pitched a career-high 142 2/3 innings two years after season-ending Tommy John surgery.
He’ll be opposed by Astros All-Star right-hander Charlie Morton (12-3, 2.85 ERA) at 1:10 p.m. Wednesday at Safeco Field. The game will broadcast on Root Sports and 710-AM radio.
This story was originally published August 21, 2018 at 5:43 PM.