Hancock hoping to make most of opportunity

This story was excerpted from Daniel Kramer’s Mariners Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

SEATTLE -- Emerson Hancock has been here before, well aware of his role as the immediate reinforcement within the Mariners’ rotation. But that doesn’t necessarily eliminate the natural jitters each time he returns to prove he belongs.

Recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Friday to start in place of Luis Castillo, Hancock labored early but finished strong over a serviceable five innings in a 5-4 win over the Rangers. Seattle hasn’t publicly said that he’ll retain that rotation spot the next time through, though he’s certainly the leading candidate.

The Mariners already announced that they’ve shuffled the rotation following Monday’s off-day for this week’s big series vs. the Yankees, rolling with Bryan Woo, Bryce Miller and Logan Gilbert. That’d leave Castillo’s rotation spot open again next weekend in Texas.

“We're going to have to look at it when we get a little bit closer,” manager Dan Wilson said. “We’ll just kind of assess where we are and how things are going and look at what Texas may be offering when we get there. So, we just think that's something that we're going to continue to look at.”

Hancock needed 28 pitches just to clear the first inning, giving up two runs on consecutive infield singles from Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Jung. The righty then threw another 21 pitches in the second, when he stranded the bases loaded, before settling in. He found a rhythm in the third, fourth and fifth, aside from a sky-high solo homer he surrendered to Wyatt Langford.

In total, Hancock was tagged for six hits and one walk with five strikeouts while making his 10th MLB start this season -- but his first since July 6 vs. Toronto.

“I think it starts with just slowing down, right?” Hancock said. “Things speed up on you a little bit. I feel like I just had to kind of get back in the zone, attack a little bit more, try to get some quick outs and get as far as I could go and just execute the best that you can.”

His velocity was down 0.6 mph on his sinker (the pitch he turned to most) and 1.6 mph on his four-seam fastball, with both sitting in the 91-92 mph range. Hancock hasn’t been consistently in the high-90s since his days at the University of Georgia, but he’s still been effective when mixing and working the corners. The changeup, perhaps his best pitch, accounted for seven whiffs and three K’s.

“I like to attack,” Hancock said. “I like to be in the strike zone a lot. I'm going to need those whiffs, especially in big situations where you need a punchout, so it was nice to get those.”

Hancock’s lack of opportunities since breaking camp within the Opening Day rotation have largely spoken to how consistent -- and healthy -- Seattle’s starters have been.

Including Hancock and Jhoanthan Díaz, who made a spot start on June 11, the Mariners have used just seven starters this season -- easily the fewest in the Majors. Castillo’s left hamstring strain will sideline him for at least one more turn through the rotation, as he’s not eligible to be activated from the IL until Sept. 24.

That should line up another opportunity for Hancock, whose previous nine starts were filling in for Woo when he was sidelined with right elbow inflammation and then with a right hamstring strain.

“I think the biggest thing is, for me, it's just kind of like the trust factor,” Hancock said. “Just trust your stuff, trust your preparation, go out each outing and do the best that you can. And try to get the most out of every day, that's really kind of what I live by.”

Even though he’s been in the organization for more than four years -- he was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 Draft -- Hancock still has limited MLB experience, as Friday marked just his 13th career start.

If he’s called upon again, it’ll represent a chance to leave a lingering impression heading into the offseason.