MLB Game Preview - Tampa Bay at Seattle

Sun Aug 11, 2019 4:10 PM EDT

Of the 10 trades between the Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle since Jerry Dipoto took over as the Mariners' general manager, there's one that he might want to have back.

On Jan. 11, 2017, Dipoto sent outfielder Mallex Smith, who was acquired 77 minutes earlier from Atlanta, and two minor-leaguers, shortstop Carlos Vargas and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, to the Rays for lefty Drew Smyly.

Smyly never pitched for the Mariners after getting hurt while playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

While Dipoto reacquired Smith this past offseason, Yarbrough is the one that got away.

Yarbrough will get his first chance to pitch at T-Mobile Park on Sunday, when the Rays try to complete a three-game sweep of the Mariners.

Yarbrough (10-3, 3.90 ERA), Seattle's fourth-round pick in the 2014 MLB draft out of Old Dominion, has won his past five decisions for the Rays and is 26-9 in his two seasons with them.

"It's cool coming back here to Seattle," Yarbrough told the Tampa Bay Times. "It's a team you especially want to throw against ... that you get a little excited for."

Yarbrough, 27, said he had no regrets about being traded by the Mariners, who he'll face Sunday for the first time.

"Honestly, I feel like being traded (to Tampa Bay) was the best thing that could have happened to me," he told the Times. "Obviously being able to have Kyle Snyder (as pitching coach) for those couple years. And I wasn't throwing my cutter until I got over here, which obviously has been one of the bigger weapons for me so far in my career.

"With how they approach development here, especially on the pitching side, it was probably the best thing for me to come here, and I couldn't be more excited to be here."

Yarbrough will face a rebuilding Mariners team that has lost seven of its past eight games and has been no-hit twice since the All-Star break.

The Mariners plan to use a reliever as an opener before giving the ball to veteran left-hander Wade LeBlanc (6-4, 5.17 ERA), who has lost his past two outings. LeBlanc is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in one career start against Tampa Bay.

The Rays won 5-4 Saturday as catcher Mike Zunino, another former Mariner, hit a three-run homer, and Kevin Kiermaier and Avisail Garcia added solo shots. Right-hander Charlie Morton improved to 13-4 for Tampa Bay, which has won 11 of its past 14 games.

"First time playing against your former team, I can remember doing it myself, you always have a little edge and you are fired up," Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Zunino. "Mike has big-time power, and we've seen that before. He got a pitch he could handle and took care of it."

Rays outfielder Tommy Pham was kept out of the lineup because of a sore right hand. He was injured July 28 while sliding into second base and is 5-for-26 at the plate since.

"He could have played today. I kind of begged and pleaded with him, 'Please do not swing the bat today, let's let it cool off,'" Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Not sure if that will go in one ear and out the other, but that's the thought, to see if we can freshen him up a little bit and get him back in there (Sunday)."

--Field Level Media