Mariners to start prospect Bryan Woo for injured Marco Gonzales
ARLINGTON, Texas — The depth of the Mariners’ young pitching talent in their farm system will be tested again, as another rotation regular appears headed for the injured list.
Veteran left-hander Marco Gonzales didn’t make the trip to Texas with the team and is in Seattle undergoing tests on his left forearm.
“He felt a little discomfort after his last start,” manager Scott Servais said before Friday’s game. “He threw his bullpen the other day, and it didn’t feel great, so he wanted to get it checked out.”
Right-hander Bryan Woo, the Mariners’ No. 6 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline, arrived in Texas on Friday to take Gonzales’ spot on the roster and in the starting rotation. Servais confirmed that Woo will make his MLB debut vs. the Rangers.
The roster move won’t be made official until Saturday morning. The Mariners also will have to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Woo. They could transfer Robbie Ray, who had season-ending elbow surgery, to the 60-day injured list.
“He’s got good stuff,” Servais said of Woo. “He’s got a really good fastball. He’s young. He’s learning.”
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Servais watched Woo pitch during spring training and came away impressed.
“He’s got really good composure,” Servais said. “That’s what stood out for me in spring training. Again, big-league spring training is different than the regular season. Any guy that makes his debut is always going to be a little anxious and hyped up and ready to go, but I’m looking forward to seeing him pitch.”
Woo, 23, has made nine starts for Class AA Arkansas this season, posting a 3-2 record with a 2.05 ERA. In 44 innings he’s struck out 59 with 12 walks. He was named the Mariners minor league pitcher of the month for May and April.
Seattle selected Woo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Cal Poly even though he’d had Tommy John surgery three months before the draft. He returned to the mound in June 2022 and made 16 starts, posting 1-4 record with a 4.11 ERA. But he was outstanding in the Arizona Fall League, going 2-0 with 0.84 ERA in five starts.
Because of his limited innings pitched in 2022, the Mariners were going to be cautious with Woo’s workload even before he was promoted to the big leagues.
Save for two bad outings, Gonzales has been solid in the No. 5 spot this season. He has a 4-1 record and 5.22 ERA, and the Mariners are 7-3 in his 10 starts. In his most recent outing vs. the Pirates he pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
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He’s been durable since being acquired in 2017, going on the injured list just twice — once late in the 2018 season due to a lower-back strain. In 2021 he was sidelined because of a forearm strain April 29 and returned June 1.
Ford fills the DH spot
The Mariners made a roster move before Friday’s game, selecting the minor-league contract of first baseman/designated hitter Mike Ford.
He filled vacant roster spot created when outfielder Taylor Trammell was optioned to Class AAA Tacoma after Wednesday’s game in Seattle.
Ford was in the starting lineup, batting eighth as the designated hitter.
“Obviously, he was off to a great start at Triple-A, tearing it up there,” Servais said. “He’ll get opportunities here as the DH against right-handed pitching and will be a left-handed bat off the bench. He’ll get plenty of opportunities, and hopefully you can add a little bit in that DH spot.”
The DH spot has not contributed much this season, producing a .143/.226/.270 slash line with six doubles, six homers, 22 runs scored 18 RBI, 20 walks and 60 strikeouts in 213 plate appearances. The Mariners DH spot has produced a league-worst 42 weight runs created plus. The all encompassing metric puts league average at 100. The Yankees DH spot has produced a 160 wRC+.
It’s Ford’s third big-league stint with the Mariners. He has destroyed pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. In 49 games he’s posted a .302/.427/.605 slash line in 211 plate appearances. Of his 52 hits, he has 11 doubles, a triple, 13 homers, 56 RBI, 34 walks and 30 strikeouts.
“Mike Ford has always done a really good job controlling the strike zone,” Servais said. “He’s very patient. He’s hunting his pitch. He’s certainly got power. He’s earned the opportunity to come back. He’s a good guy, and he fits in well. It’s a very professional approach. He does his homework. He knows who he’s going face when he’s going face them. He’s ready to go.”
Source: The Seattle Times
