Is 2026 a Lost Season for Veteran Right-Hander George Kirby?

Just when it looked like veteran right-hander George Kirby was on the path to turning his season around with two strong starts in early August, the bottom appeared to fall out on the Mariners' starter over the last six days.

Kirby shut out the Twins over seven innings on Aug. 2 and limited the Rays to just one earned run in five innings of work on Aug. 8. The hope was that the 28-year-old right-hander was regaining the form that made him a dependable starter in 2025 in the AL Division Series win.

However, over his past two starts, Kirby closely resembled the pitcher who struggled mightily in two starts in the ALCS against the Blue Jays last October. On Aug. 14 in Houston, the Astros shelled Kirby for five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Then, he was hit hard again on Thursday in Milwaukee when he was knocked out of the game after just 3 1/3 innings of work. The Brewers reached him for nine hits, two walks and six earned runs.

Thursday's poor effort dropped Kirby to a disappointing 8-10 with a 4.18 ERA. If he can't improve down the stretch, he could finish with a worse ERA than the career-high 4.21 he posted in 2025.