Emerson Hancock recalled to start Thursday, Will Klein swiftly returned to Triple-A Tacoma

Hope you got some chili, Will.

The Seattle Mariners announced Thursday morning that they have recalled RHP Emerson Hancock from Triple-A Tacoma, where he will start the rubber game of their series against the Cincinnati Reds. That component had been announced yesterday, a slight surprise shuffling that allows Bryan Woo an additional day of rest. It also affords the M’s the chance to align Woo against an AL opponent who will be jockeying for playoff position in the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. In the corresponding move, Seattle optioned RHP Will Klein back to Tacoma where he’d been until Gregory Santos was demoted just a day prior.

Hancock had an encouraging Spring Training, but could scarcely have had a worse 2025 debut, failing to escape the first inning and getting shellacked badly enough that the M’s rolled instead with Luis F. Castillo for the next two turns through the rotation. Hancock has a medium order today, facing a Cincinnati Reds lineup that’s scuffled out of the gate but has the benefit of their home park behind them.

Klein’s demotion highlights his selection was less about his own performance in T-Town - mixed, with lots of swing and miss but a bevy of walks and a hilarious 12.79 ERA against a 3.40 FIP through 6.1 frames. Mostly, it was that he can be stretched to length and that Santos had to go get right. Odds are good the big righty will return in 2025, but perhaps after a few more weeks where he can pare down his BB/9 under, well, nine. As the M’s prepare to kick off the final game of the first third of their lengthy road trip, the bullpen is once more at a “bloated but standard for MLB in 2025” eight members. Today’s performance will likely determine whether Hancock gets to stick with the club for the unenviable task of starting at Fenway Park next week or rides the shuttle back down this evening in favor of additional relief.