Could Bryan Woo pitch out of the bullpen for Mariners this weekend?

MIAMI – Bryan Woo’s last start before the All-Star break didn’t go exactly as planned.

He was looking for a strong answer to his previous road struggles this season. Instead, it was a somewhat middling outing Tuesday night at LoanDepot Park. He gave up four runs on nine hits over five innings while taking a no-decision in the Mariners’ 6-5 extra-innings loss to the Marlins.

With Seattle using a six-man rotation and the other five starters each getting a turn on this road trip, Woo won’t start again until the weekend of July 17-19 when the Mariners host the Giants coming out of the break.

But there is a chance he might pitch again on the current road trip.

When asked about the long break in between starts and how he planned to stay sharp, Woo said he would be willing to pitch out of the bullpen during the weekend series in Tampa.

“If they need me in a game, I’ll say I’m ready to pitch, and if not, then I will kind of stick to the same routine,” he said.

Woo would be working on normal rest for the series finale in Tampa on Sunday.

The Mariners are working with a limited bullpen because they are carrying six starters. Having him available could be useful for everyone.

“I think it’s something that we’ll look at, especially because he’ll have such a long layoff,” manager Dan Wilson said. “It might be advantageous for him to get out on the mound a little bit and throw. But the right situation would have to present itself. We’d have to look at it as we go, but we certainly wouldn’t rule it out at this point.”

Asked about how the rotation will slot out coming out of the break, Wilson was noncommittal.

“We’re still looking at that,” he said. “We’re just making sure we’re all on the same page. What we’ve been able to do here before the break, it has been helpful. I think getting the days we have during the break, and then coming out of it, I think our guys will be in a really good spot and ready for the final push as we get toward the end of the year and into the playoff race.”

Also

The Mariners signed veteran outfielder and former Seattle Prep standout Stuart Fairchild to a minor league contract.

Fairchild, 30, played in the Arizona Complex League on Tuesday night for the Mariners and is expected to join Triple-A Tacoma in the coming days.

It will be his second stint with his hometown team after playing briefly for the Mariners in 2021.

Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Guardians on June 26. After signing a minor league deal with Cleveland in the offseason, Fairchild started the season at Triple-A Columbus. He was called up by Cleveland in mid-May and appeared in 14 games.

He provides some experienced outfield depth for Triple-A Tacoma.