Everything Comes Full Circle For Matthew Boyd, Seattle Mariners

This season has little doubt been a protracted one for Mariners left-handed pitcher Matthew Boyd. Earlier than Thursday, Boyd hadn’t pitched in an actual MLB recreation since September 4, 2021 after struggling an elbow pressure that persevered all through the 2022 marketing campaign. 

The southpaw signed with the Giants in the course of the offseason, however he was dealt to the Mariners earlier than he may full his rehab.

Seattle’s choice so as to add Boyd on the August 2 commerce deadline got here as a shock, contemplating he hadn’t confronted major-league pitching as much as that time. There was historical past there, nevertheless, with the Mariners beforehand linked to Boyd again when he was wholesome and pitching close to the highest of the Tigers’ rotation. 

Now, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and firm hope to stretch Boyd out as a multi-inning reliever for the ultimate month-plus of the common season.

“We supposed to construct him right into a multi-inning bullpen position, and we really feel like that’s what he brings to the desk for our workforce coming down the stretch right here,” Dipoto stated in an interview with 710 Seattle Sports activities. 

Boyd grew up a Mariners fan, and had at all times hoped for a return to pitch within the Pacific Northwest. Shortly after the deal, he modified his Twitter profile image to {a photograph} of him as a child, posted up within the left-center area stands at then-Safeco Area, proudly donning a Mariners hat. 

On Thursday, Boyd’s lengthy highway again from damage lastly paid off, pitching for his childhood workforce for the very first time. This particular second was magnified as a result of it was in opposition to his longtime former workforce: the Tigers. 

Boyd spun a 1-2-3 inning for Seattle and can look to do an entire lot extra of that down the stretch, becoming a member of his childhood workforce because it seems to finish the longest postseason drought in main skilled sports activities.