Mariners' Marco Gonzales to be activated from IL on June 1, will start vs. A's

Mariners left-hander Marco Gonzales will make his return from the injured list June 1 with a start against the Athletics, according to manager Scott Servais, via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The Mariners are easing Gonzales back in, as the plan is for him to pitch three to four innings.

Gonzales hasn’t taken the mound since April 27 on account of a forearm strain, but considering the nature of the injury, it’s a relief that he’ll miss only just over a month. The 29-year-old put up a brutal two starts to open his 2021, but he was beginning to round into form before heading to the IL. In his three most recent starts, Gonzales surrendered just five earned runs on 10 hits in 18 innings, and he totaled 15 strikeouts against six walks.

Overall this year, Gonzales has recorded a 5.40 ERA/4.85 SIERA with a 19.0 percent strikeout rate against a 9.1 percent walk rate in 28 1/3 innings. Those aren’t impressive numbers, but the 29-year-old showed he’s a quality starter from 2018-20, especially last season. Gonzales tied the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks for the lowest walk percentage (2.5) among qualified starters in 2020, helping him to a 3.10 ERA over 69 2/3 frames.