Mariners Manager Scott Servais Gives Positive Health Update on the Bullpen
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners got some good news on Friday, hours before their game against the Houston Astros, as left-handed reliever Gabe Speier was reinstated off the 15-day injured list.
There was some more positive updates about the bullpen provided by Mariners manager Scott Servais during pregame interviews on Friday and Saturday.
Right-handed reliever Ryne Stanek exited a game against the Los Angeles Angels on July 14 with back spasms after giving up a four-pitch walk against the only batter he faced.
Servais said on Friday that the four days off during the All-Star break helped Stanek and that he looked good. On Saturday, he all but confirmed the eighth-year hurler is healthy.
Stanek has an ERA this season of 3.79 and 42 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched.
Servais also talked Saturday about the return of Speier and what it means for Seattle's other left-handed reliever Tyler Saucedo.
"(Saucedo) has had a really good year," Servais said on Saturday. "He's been very durable, he's been available most days but it's always nice to have a second lefty down there so you can go back and forth. I don't want to overuse Gabe too much early on, so it's nice having both guys against a team that has really good left-handed hitting (in the Astros)."
Speier this season has an ERA of 6.06 with 22 strikeouts in 16.1 innings pitched.
Speier's return was not far behind Gregory Santos', who had his first two outings for the Mariners on July 9 and July 12.
Servais mentioned not wanting to overuse Santos to keep him healthy after he was activated off the IL. Santos has looked good in his two appearances and, with the option of another lefty to fall back on, it looks like the bullpen is in a good situation.
But Servais is still going to proceed on the side of caution with Santos.
"We'd like to pitch Santos every day if I could," Servais said. "He's really good. But we need to keep him healthy. He'll be available (Saturday) obviously coming off the break — want to get him back in there. But he's a guy who really didn't have much build up. No spring training. We got him on the roster as quick as we did and we knew that was a gamble we were going to have to take: you're not going to be able to use him in back-to-back days probably."
Santos has two strikeouts and hasn't let up a hit in his two innings pitched.
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