Kirby's opportunity to pitch regularly will continue to be prioritized in the wake of the Mariners' trade for Luis Castillo on Friday, Shannon Drayer of 710 ESPN Seattle reports.
The promising right-hander has already logged 69.1 innings across 13 starts with the Mariners in addition to another 26.2 frames in the minors. Kirby just returned from Triple-A Tacoma on July 26 to serve as the No. 5 starter and turned in five scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Rangers on Tuesday, and the team is intent on helping him get through a 162-game season for the first time as a professional. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto noted Friday he and manager Scott Servais would sit down and work on creative ways to make sure the rookie "stays on a regular turn and continues to contribute" despite the starting rotation now including six pitchers.