The Mariners ace will make his return for the ALCS after missing time with right pectoral inflammation
The Seattle Mariners are set to play in their first American League Championship Series since 2001 on Sunday. The Mariners will play the Toronto Blue Jays at 5:03 p.m. PT at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Seattle will be getting its best starting pitcher on the mound for the team's most important series in over two decades.
Mariners right-handed hurler Bryan Woo had been out since Sept. 19 due to right pectoral inflammation. He was out for the club's final two series of the regular season against the Colorado Rockies and Los Angeles Dodgers and was left on the team's American League Divisional Series roster against the Detroit Tigers.
Woo was listed on the ALCS roster before first pitch in Game 1, and there was immediate question on when he would make the first postseason appearance of his major league career.
Right-handed pitcher Bryce Miller will start Game 1 of the series, and the starter for Game 2 will be announced after Sunday's game.
Whenever Woo pitches, it will be his first time throwing in a competitive game in almost a month.
In a pregame news conference, Seattle manager Dan Wilson expanded on what is next for Woo moving forward.
"He's made his steady progress and has hit some of the milestones we were hoping for," Wilson said Sunday. "Felt good in his last bullpen and his (velocity) was where we were hoping, too. Gonna get a chance tomorrow, I think, to throw a live (bullpen). He's at a point where he's feeling a lot better and hoping, as we get into this series, we'll get a chance to see him later."
If Woo is available to start, he'll likely get the nod in Game 3 or 4. Luis Castillo and Logan Gilbert will have had the most days in between for Games 2 and 3, but pitched into multiple innings out of the bullpen in the M's' 3-2, 15-inning win against the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of the American League Divisional Series on Friday. George Kirby also started that game and threw five innings.
Woo made his first All-Star game this season. He posted a 2.94 ERA with 198 strikeouts in 186.2 innings pitched across 30 starts.
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