Report: Mariners Pitching Prospect Logan Gilbert Likely to Debut vs. Cleveland

The future is apparently now for the Seattle Mariners. 

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the American League West team is calling up pitching prospect Logan Gilbert and will likely start him during Thursday's game against Cleveland. The right-hander checks in at the No. 28 overall player and the No. 4 player in the Mariners' system on MLB.com's prospect rankings. 

Gilbert is not the first high-profile prospect Seattle has recently turned toward in the early going this season.

Passan also reported the Mariners will call up outfielder Jarred Kelenic for Thursday's game. Kelenic is Seattle's top prospect and the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball.

It doesn't come as a massive surprise that the Mariners are turning to Gilbert at this point of the season. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times noted manager Scott Servais has turned to the bullpen because of injuries to Marco Gonzales and James Paxton.

Seattle also has just one off day between now and June 7, so it would be far more difficult to keep working with a short rotation.

"We have good players that are close to being ready to help us here," Servais said, per Divish. "Ultimately, it's not my decision when they come, but those conversations are going on and they'll continue to go on."

Gilbert shined in his only start in the minor leagues this year and allowed one earned run and four hits while striking out five for the Tacoma Rainiers, who are Seattle's Triple-A affiliate. 

He started 26 games in the minor leagues in 2019 and finished with a 2.13 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 165 strikeouts in 135.0 innings, underscoring his potential with head-turning stats.

If he can pitch like that in the major leagues, he probably won't be going back to the minors anytime soon.