Kirby allowed two runs on three hits, one walk and a hit batsman while striking out seven over four innings in a no-decision versus the Astros on Sunday.
Kirby gave up both runs and four of the five baserunners he permitted in the first inning. He threw 74 pitches (42 strikes) in the appearance. The rookie right-hander finishes July with five runs and 18 hits allowed in 20.1 innings, though he's already up to 73.1 major-league innings and 100 at all levels in 2022. Kirby is still expected to be in the rotation mix after the Mariners acquired Luis Castillo on Friday. It's unclear how that will look in practice -- the Mariners could go straight to a six-man rotation, piggyback Kirby with a long reliever or employ some other strategy to manage his innings over the final two months of the season.