Analysis: Emphasizing Slider, Ken Giles Solid in First Appearance With Mariners
Taking a six-run lead into the bottom of the ninth against MLB's 29th-ranked offense in wRC+ (77), there was no better time for the Mariners to give right-handed reliever Ken Giles his first major league action since September 15, 2020.
Reinstated from the 60-day injured list on Monday following an extensive rehab assignment, Giles took advantage of the soft landing and efficiently put the Athletics away in order. He started by going right after catcher Sean Murphy, pumping a 95.4 MPH fastball in for a called first strike and proceeding to throw four consecutive sliders that were all fouled off. Murphy wasted another fastball and took a slider below the zone for ball one, but Giles went back to the well on the very next pitch and finished the job with a slider down and away.
As Murphy came up flailing on his final swing of the night, that would be the first of two whiffs Giles induced on the slider, which averaged 39 inches of downward break. He got the other while facing third baseman Sheldon Neuse, bringing the count to 1-1 after missing inside on the first pitch of the at-bat. Neuse eventually roped a slider to the tune of a 94.6 MPH exit velocity, which registered an expected batting average of .580, but it traveled right into the glove of first baseman Ty France for the second out of the inning.
Shortstop Elvis Andrus then dug into the batter's box and Giles made quick work of him. After starting the matchup with a fastball that missed the top inner corner of the strike zone, he fired his 10th and final slider of the night for a called strike on the upper outside third of the plate. He then jammed Andrus on a fastball just inside for a game-ending flyout, giving the Mariners an 8-2 victory to start their road trip.
It's one outing, of course, but this was arguably the best Giles has looked since returning to the mound on May 29. The results of his rehab stint were concerning, to say the least, as he surrendered 16 runs—11 earned—on 15 hits with eight strikeouts and eight walks in 7.1 innings of work between the High-A and Triple-A levels. So to get a clean first appearance out of him—no matter how out of hand the game was—is a win for the Mariners, who really could use the depth they hope Giles is able to provide.
Less than two years removed from Tommy John surgery, Giles was able to live in the mid 90s on his fastball and got value out of the slider as well. Historically speaking, he's maintained a good balance between the two pitches, with his career slider usage rate coming in at 44.3 percent. It was his primary offering on Tuesday night, however, making up 66.6 percent of his pitches thrown.
It'll be interesting to see if this indicates a change in approach for him post-surgery. His slider has been credited with 58.4 runs saved above average since his major league debut in 2014, which ranks third amongst all relievers in that time. Perhaps the Mariners prefer him to feature it even more than he has in the past, which could bode well for him if he's able to throw it as effectively as he did against the Athletics.
More time and data is needed to truly assess where Giles is at, but this was a good first step nonetheless.
