SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners will start George Kirby and the Detroit Tigers will counter with rookie Troy Melton for Game 1 of their American League Division Series on Saturday. Luis Castillo will follow for the Mariners in Game 2 opposite Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who would also be lined up to start a decisive Game 5 on normal rest.
The Tigers were slim on options heading into this series, with Skubal, Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty all starting in the wild-card series against the Cleveland Guardians earlier this week. The Mariners, coming off a bye, had at least four of their starting pitchers healthy and more than fully rested, but chose two pitchers who have been much better at home and have shined in previous playoff appearances.
Kirby and Castillo starting Games 1 and 2 means Logan Gilbert, the team’s Opening Day starter, will probably take the ball in Game 3 from Detroit, though Mariners manager Dan Wilson would not reveal the rest of the schedule. His plans could hinge on the availability of All-Star starter Bryan Woo, who’s nursing a pectoral injury but threw a higher-intensity bullpen session followed by a one-inning simulated game Thursday. Wilson was still uncertain about Woo’s availability when he addressed the media early Friday afternoon.
“We’re going to continue to see how he feels today when he gets here for the workout,” Wilson said. “We’ll continue to gather that information from him and his health, and we’re going to make those decisions later today and in terms of the roster as well. Those are things that we’re still waiting on.”
Kirby and Castillo combined to allow just six runs in 36⅔ innings over their past three regular-season starts and allowed just three runs in 22⅓ innings the last time the Mariners made the playoffs in 2022. Both pitched far better at home than they did on the road this season, though Gilbert and Woo also featured drastic splits — a product of T-Mobile Park functioning as the industry’s most run-suppressing ballpark in 2025.
If Woo is deemed healthy enough to crack the ALDS roster, the Mariners could take the rare step in carrying five starting pitchers for a best-of-five series, with Bryce Miller also expected to be included.
The Tigers spent much of Friday evaluating the status of outfielder Matt Vierling, out since Aug. 9 with an oblique strain, and infielder Colt Keith, who was placed on the injured list with rib cage inflammation last month. Both took live batting practice on the field Friday.
Melton, 24, began the year in Double-A, moved to Triple-A in June, debuted with the Tigers near the end of July and posted a 2.76 ERA in 45⅔ innings, mostly as a reliever. Manager A.J. Hinch emphasized that the Tigers view Melton as a starting pitcher long term, but it’s unlikely that he will be extended Saturday. Melton hasn’t exceeded 50 pitches since Aug. 13 — though he threw 49 pitches while allowing one run in 3⅔ innings in a big start against the Guardians on Sept. 25 — and was roughed up in Game 2 of the wild-card series, recording one out while being charged with four earned runs in the eighth inning.
“We’re excited to get him normal prep, normal routine, normal warmup,” Hinch said. “It’s going to be somewhat abbreviated, just given, you know, how we’ve used him over the last couple of months. But we have a plan after him as well.”
