MLB Game Preview - Detroit at Seattle

Fri Jul 26, 2019 10:10 PM EDT

Hours before the Detroit Tigers and host Seattle Mariners, who are in last place in their respective divisions in the American League, began a four-game series Thursday night, Felix Hernandez took the mound at T-Mobile Park for the first time since late April.

The 15-year Mariners veteran threw 22 pitches in a live batting practice session against rookies Dylan Moore and Tim Lopes.

Hernandez, who has been on the injured list since May 12 with right shoulder stiffness, said he hopes to begin a rehabilitation assignment this weekend and get back to the Mariners in a couple of weeks.

"I need it," the 33-year-old Hernandez told MLB.com. "If I want to play next year, I need to go out there and pitch. I have to go out and compete. I've been thinking about next year, for sure. That's why I need to go out there and show them I can pitch."

The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner went 1-4 with a 6.52 ERA in eight starts before being shut down. He has been plagued by injuries each of the past three seasons, and he admitted that he has put "a lot of miles on that arm."

But before the Mariners start thinking about a possible rehab assignment for Hernandez, they have to focus on the task at hand. And on Friday, that means starting rookie Yusei Kikuchi against the Tigers' Daniel Norris in a matchup of struggling left-handers.

Norris (2-8, 5.02 ERA) hasn't won since May 12, going 0-7 with a 5.76 ERA in 12 starts since. The Tigers are only 2-10 as a team in those starts. In his last outing, Saturday against Toronto, Norris gave up only one run, but lasted just four innings. Both the innings pitched and his 58 total pitches were his fewest since he threw 58 pitches in three innings back on April 14.

If he hopes to turn things around on Friday, he'll need to do something he's never done in his career -- beat the Mariners. Norris is 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in five career starts against Seattle.

This will be the first appearance against Detroit for Kikuchi (4-7, 5.37). His dry spell is not as long as that of Norris, but he hasn't been a whole lot better, either. In his last 10 starts, dating back to mid-May, Kikuchi is 1-6 with a 7.85 ERA. The Mariners are 1-9 in those starts.

The Mariners are coming into the game off a convincing win Thursday, as Tim Beckham's grand slam helped propel the hosts to a 10-2 win in the opener. It gave Seattle consecutive victories for the first time since June 25-26 at Milwaukee.

Beckham's slam came after Tigers second baseman Niko Goodrum bobbled a potential inning-ending double-play ball with the bases loaded.

"Well, you miss a play in the middle of it, and it always turns into something like that," Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I think (Drew VerHagen) hung a curveball to a right-handed hitter for the grand slam, but the ball hit to Niko, he's just got to get an out. We spent all afternoon, early here, going over and talking about when you're playing out here and there's a ball hit and it's a play like that, that's going to be one of those wild ones, just get an out. Niko was looking like he was still trying to turn two and rushed the play, and next thing you know, the ball goes in the seats. It's not on Niko that he hung a curveball, but that always turns into it when you miss a play."

John Hicks homered for the Tigers, who have lost three in a row and are 2-11 since the All-Star break.

--Field Level Media