The Mariners are getting closer to being fully healthy with Jean Segura and Felix Hernandez expected to return by the end of the week. Hisashi Iwakuma is also out on rehab assignment. Promising young outfielder Mitch Haniger has also come off the DL. The Mariners are close to having their full starting lineup and rotation as intended on Opening Day.
Segura, Cano, Cruz, Seager and Haniger have started exactly one game together at Safeco this year (April 10th). Today is a good day https://t.co/dMq3Rcrf31
— Gary Hill Jr. (@GaryHillJr) June 21, 2017
Seattle has the lineup in place to keep up in the AL playoff race, but that may not matter if their starting pitching continues to rank near the bottom of the league. There is no arguing with the moves Jerry Dipoto made to build his offense, but his moves when it comes to pitching have not panned out so well. Yovani Gallardo has been relegated to the bullpen, but Drew Smyly just may pitch in the big leagues this year.
The MLB world waits with baited breath to see if the Orioles pitching staff can half their free fall. Entering Wednesday night’s game against Cleveland, the Orioles had allowed five runs or more in 17 straight games and 21 of 24. No team in recent history has been this awful. You have to go all the way back to the early 1900s to find an American League team with pitching this bad. No one has been hit harder than former staff ace Chris Tillman, who is obviously still dealing with a shoulder injury.
Chris Tillman's 8.39 ERA is the worst in the major leagues among all pitchers who've thrown at least 30 innings.
— Matt Kremnitzer (@mattkremnitzer) June 21, 2017
Only the Orioles pitchers and the front office can wear the blame for this season’s drastic turn away from the best start in franchise history. Baltimore’s strength for the past five years has been their dominant bullpen, but injuries have decimated it this year. Dan Duquette’s plan to cobble together castoffs from other teams to pitch the fifth and sixth innings went up in smoke as soon as Zach Britton and Darren O’Day hit the disabled list.