The Mariners got what they needed this past weekend: a series win over a strong Cubs club and a little breathing room in the AL West, trimming the gap to 3.0 games. But the bigger picture still looks messy, and the rotation is a major reason why. Seattle’s starters rank 20th in the majors this month with a 4.43 ERA, and that’s why Ryan Sloan’s name is starting to feel less like a future talking point and more like an immediate answer.
With 31 games left, the Mariners are running out of time to act like the future can wait. They’ve already taken that step with Kade Anderson, handing him his Major League debut. Now the same logic points straight at Sloan, especially with Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo both giving Seattle reason to stop waiting.
Miller’s situation has gone from concerning to ugly. He has a 7.19 ERA over his past eight outings, and every one of those starts has ended in a Mariners loss.
Over his last six starts, that number climbs to 7.92 ERA, all while he has been working through a lat issue that he finally acknowledged Sunday after a rough outing in a 19-2 loss to the Cubs. At this point, the Mariners need to protect him from himself, whether that means an Injured List stint or at least a move to the bullpen.
Woo’s issue is different, but it lands in the same place for Seattle. He has been dealing with a right shoulder problem since his most recent start in Houston on Aug.
- Ahead of that outing against the Astros, he had already mentioned soreness, and the Mariners pulled him after 75 pitches and 6.0 innings.
He threw a bullpen session Sunday that was described as encouraging, but no decision has been made yet on when he will make his next start.
The injury history makes both situations harder to ignore. Miller has been dealing with issues since late in 2024, and Woo’s 2025 season was derailed late by a pectoral issue that also hurt the Mariners in the playoffs.
One compromised starter might have opened the door for Sloan. Both struggling at once should push it wide open.
And this isn’t just about plugging a hole. Sloan has earned a real look.
He may not be as polished as Anderson right now, but many view his ceiling as even higher. His season started unevenly - a 5.09 ERA and .802 OPS over his first 10 starts - but he’s flipped the script since then.
In his last nine outings, he has posted a 2.35 ERA and .569 OPS.
He’s also coming off a performance that matched a career high with 11 strikeouts. The arrow is pointing up, and the Mariners need rotation help now if they’re going to keep pushing toward a playoff spot. At this stage, Seattle would be better off giving the 2024 second-rounder a chance than continuing to run out weakened versions of Miller and Woo.
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The Mariners are still juggling the infield around J.P. Crawfords impending return, so Emersons absence lands at an awkward time for the depth chart. Even so, the team is expecting him back in time for spring training next year, which at least gives Seattle a clear target as it tries to absorb a painful setback and keep the bigger picture intact. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Need A Roster Shakeup After Deadline Bat Disappoints
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Meanwhile, Lazaro Montes has kept forcing his way into the conversation with a huge season in the minors, including 37 home runs and a strong OPS at Triple-A Tacoma. With roster expansion on September 1 looming, the Mariners have a possible path to shake things up if they decide the bat they need is already in the organization, even though no official move has been made yet. [Read more 🡒]
Kade Andersons Mariners Debut Put One Pitch Under Immediate Scrutiny
Kade Andersons first big league start came with the kind of close inspection that follows any top Mariners prospect the moment he reaches Seattle, and the attention only intensified once he was asked to work 5.2 innings and allow three earned runs in his debut. Promoted straight from Double-A, Anderson stepped into a new level where every pitch gets judged not just by results, but by how it moves, how it spins and whether the stuff that played so well in the minors still looks the same under major league lights.
One layer of that adjustment is the baseball itself. The majors use a different ball than Double-A, with changes in composition and stitching that can alter pitch movement, including spin and vertical break, and pitchers making that jump often see subtle changes right away in how their offerings carry or finish. For a young arm like Anderson, that makes his first outing less of a verdict than a starting point, with one pitch in particular now under the kind of scrutiny that can shape the conversation around his next turn. [Read more 🡒]