That's the Cliffs Notes version of where these two clubs are right now. Milwaukee (79-49) owns the best record in baseball and just took 2 of the first 3 in a series that included a 22-0 win that matched the largest shutout of the modern era. Seattle (60-68) is playing out the string well outside the race, and Thursday's loss dropped them to 1-2 in the set after Wednesday's feel-good 7-5 win kept things from getting embarrassing twice.
Neither bullpen is exactly fresh. Milwaukee's missing JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Joel Kuhnel, on top of a rotation that's already lost Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester for the year. Seattle's pitching depth chart reads like a hospital ward at this point, which is as much a reason Kirby's workload matters as anything he did against Houston last time out, when he lasted just 4.2 innings in a rocky outing.
- Day-To-DayBryan Woo (SP) — Woo (shoulder) threw his normal between-starts bullpen session Thursday, Zach Sweet of MLB.com reports.08/20
- 10-Day-ILJ.P. Crawford (SS) — Crawford (wrist) will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday, Tim Booth of The Seattle Times reports.08/19
- 10-Day-ILColt Emerson (SS) — The Mariners placed Emerson on the 10-day injured list Friday with left wrist inflammation, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.08/14
- 15-Day-ILMatt Brash (RP) — Brash (lat) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Saturday, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports.08/14
- 15-Day-ILCole Wilcox (RP) — Wilcox left Thursday's game versus the Tigers due to left oblique tightness.08/07
- 60-Day-ILLuke Raley (RF) — The Mariners transferred Raley (forearm) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.08/19
- 60-Day-ILCooper Criswell (RP) — Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said July 31 that Criswell (shoulder) has resumed a throwing progression, MLB.com reports.08/09
- 60-Day-ILCarlos Vargas (RP) — Vargas (lat) is expected to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with High-A Everett on Saturday night, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.08/08
- 60-Day-ILWill Wilson (3B) — Wilson (thumb) has gone 3-for-9 with two RBI and a 1:2 BB:K in his first three rehab games between High-A Everett and Triple-A Tacoma.06/17
- 60-Day-ILLogan Evans (SP) — The Mariners placed Evans (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Monday.05/08
- 10-Day-ILSal Frelick (RF) — Frelick (shoulder) joined the Brewers on Tuesday for a workout and will then continue his minor-league rehab assignment, Hunter Baumgardt of Fox Sports 920 Milwaukee reports.08/18
- 15-Day-ILJoJo Romero (RP) — Romero (abdomen) will throw a live batting practice session Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.08/18
- 15-Day-ILAbner Uribe (RP) — Uribe (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.08/18
- 15-Day-ILJoel Kuhnel (RP) — Kuhnel (shoulder) retired two of the five batters he faced and was charged with two earned runs on three hits and no walks in a rehab appearance Sunday for Triple-A Nashville.08/03
- 60-Day-ILBrandon Woodruff (SP) — Woodruff announced Saturday that he will undergo season-ending capsule repair surgery on his right shoulder, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.07/18
- 60-Day-ILRob Zastryzny (RP) — The Brewers transferred Zastryzny (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.07/16
- 60-Day-ILBrian Fitzpatrick (RP) — Fitzpatrick (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery over the past week, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.07/05
- 60-Day-ILQuinn Priester (SP) — Priester will undergo thoracic outlet compression surgery on Monday and is expected to be sidelined 8-to-10 months, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.06/18
- 60-Day-ILAngel Zerpa (RP) — The Brewers transferred Zerpa (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Sunday.05/31
Both sides get to regroup now — Milwaukee onto its next series as the runaway favorite in the National League, Seattle back to auditioning arms for 2027 while it waits on its walking wounded.