Brandon Maurer To Get The Sunday Start At Miami

Sep 17, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher

(center) walks off the field after being relieved by Seattle Mariners manager

(left) in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Today the Seattle Mariners officially named Brandon Maurer as their starter in the Sunday game against the Miami Marlins.

Here is a tweet via Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune:

Maurer started the Spring with a nagging back injury that had him starting slow along with Taijuan Walker and Hisashi Iwakuma.

The Mariners named him Sunday’s starter, but he will be on a pitch count seeing as his arm is not yet at 100%.

For those who don’t remember Maurer was the 2013 version of Roenis Elias: he made the jump from Double-A Jackson the year prior up to the Big League roster. However Maurer didn’t fare as well as Elias has so far this season.

In 22 games with the Mariners in 2013, Maurer posted a 5-8 record with a 6.30 ERA. He started in 14 of the games he appeared in. He gave up 16 home runs in only 90 innings. He walked 27 while only striking out 70.

It was clear last year that Maurer wasn’t ready for the MLB. But maybe after a year of experience and an offseason of training, he can provide the bridge until all the injured pitchers get healthy.

For more information on the series, check out the series preview Matt laid out this morning. Also, here is a link to the series preview over at Marlins Maniac, where Admiral Dan Hughes did a Q and A on the series.

Let’s hope Brandon Maurer can have a serviceable start even with a pitch count and no Spring Training. Or, at the very least, here’s to hoping he doesn’t somehow end up on the DL.