George Kirby Injury: Covers 64 pitches in rehab start

Kirby (shoulder) allowed four earned runs on 10 hits and no walks while striking out four over four innings in his rehab start for Triple-A Tacoma on Friday.

Kirby made his third start for Tacoma while he continues to get stretched back out after having spent all season on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Though he got knocked around a bit Friday, Kirby was able to push his pitch count up to 64 and reached 97.5 miles per hour with his fastball. The Mariners haven't officially commented on Kirby's next steps, but Adam Jude of The Seattle Times notes that the right-hander could return from the IL to make his season debut with Seattle in his next outing. The 27-year-old has been sticking to a five-day rest schedule during his rehab assignment, so if he's activated during the upcoming week, he would likely line up to take the hill Thursday in Houston.