Popular Former Mariners Ace Makes Long-Awaited Return For New Club
Marco Gonzales, once the ace of the Seattle Mariners, is making his long-awaited return from the injured list for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night.
He'll make the start against the Chicago White Sox, and though Gonzales isn't a Mariner anymore, we're certainly happy to see him healthy.
Per the Pirates on social media:
We have made the following roster moves:
• Ended the rehab assignment of LHP Marco Gonzales and reinstated him from the 60-day injured list
• Designated RHP Brent Honeywell Jr. for assignment to make room for Gonzales on the 26- and 40-man rosters.
• Ended the rehab assignment of RHP David Bednar and reinstated him from the 15-day injured list
• Optioned RHP Ryder Ryan to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room for Bednar on the active roster
We have made the following roster moves:
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 12, 2024
• Ended the rehab assignment of LHP Marco Gonzales and reinstated him from the 60-day injured list
• Designated RHP Brent Honeywell Jr. for assignment to make room for Gonzales on the 26- and 40-man rosters.
• Ended the rehab…
Gonzales had been on the 60-day injured list with a forearm issue, which is reminiscent of the arm problems he had in 2023 with the Mariners.
Gonzales was a rotation stalwart for the M's from 2018-2022, serving as the leader of the rotation in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 seasons. He won double-digit games in four different seasons with the Mariners and also went 7-2 during the COVID 2020 season. He made just 10 starts because of injuries in 2023 and was traded to the Atlanta Braves this past offseason.
The Braves then spun him to the Pirates where he will pair with flamethrower Paul Skenes in one of the most comedic rotation duos in the sports. At 100 MPH - plus, Skenes has one of the best fastballs in the sport. Gonzales barely touches 90, but hey, there's more than one way to win in baseball.
Gonzales is 0-0 through three starts this year. He has a 2.65 ERA.
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