TEMPE, Ariz. -- It’s not a matter of if Logan Gilbert will be in the Mariners’ 2021 rotation, but when.

Gilbert, the club’s top pitching prospect and No. 33 overall per MLB Pipeline, took another big step towards reaching the Majors when he struck out four Angels -- including Mike Trout -- in his two-inning Cactus League debut on Sunday, a 6-2 Mariners loss.

The lanky, 6-foot-6 right-hander’s fastball sat at 93 mph and worked from 92-95 mph. He also threw his slider (80-83 mph) and curve (73-75 mph). The strikeout to Trout came in a full count on a heater away that the three-time American League MVP sat on. Gilbert opened the game with a punchout of David Fletcher, who is quietly becoming one of the better hitters in the AL, and he induced a groundout from Shohei Ohtani to end the first inning.

His second frame had a little more traffic, with doubles from Albert Pujols and Justin Upton to lead off, but Gilbert came back to fan Dexter Fowler swinging and Taylor Ward looking to escape with just one run allowed. For a pitcher who hadn’t faced an opposing team in nearly a calendar year to the day, it was a solid showing.

“It was just getting back to the competition aspect,” Gilbert said. “And, of course, I'm seeing live swings off the pitches, seeing the way they took the ball, read it or swung, whatever it may be. You don't really get a true feel until batters are in there and see what they do against the pitches.”

Gilbert already had lofty hype coming into camp, but comments from the staff have created even more intrigue to his potential.

Pitching coach Pete Woodworth said of Gilbert: “The entire floor of his arsenal has risen to a really elite level.” Manager Scott Servais has likened Gilbert’s release point and delivery down the mound to Randy Johnson. And star outfield prospect Jarred Kelenic said that Gilbert was the pitcher he wanted to face most at the alternate training site last year because he was the most challenging at-bat.

Sunday represented the first public glimpse into what his peers and superiors had been alluding.

• Gilbert among MLB Pipeline's 10 best RHP prospects

“He's pretty close,” Servais said. “Certainly last year did him no favors and the fact that he wasn't able to pitch in a competitive game. … But super, super high ceiling for this kid, and I love the way he goes about his business and what his future holds. He’s going to be a big part of our rotation here for a long, long time.”

Gilbert won’t be in the Opening Day rotation or the first reinforcement if someone in the six-man unit gets hurt. The Mariners are building him up slowly and earmarking most of his innings for later in the regular season. Which, if things go according to plan and Seattle creeps up from a third-place finish in 2020, could be more important games than they had in recent years. Gilbert’s career-high 135 innings came in ‘19, when he went 10-5 with a 2.13 ERA and soared through three Minors affiliates, topping out at Double-A.

With Triple-A Tacoma announcing that its season has been delayed until May 6, Gilbert’s immediate future after the Cactus League will be Minor League Spring Training or another stint at the alternate training site in Tacoma. But he is coming -- sooner than later.

“I'm just going to try to get ready as usual,” Gilbert said. “Whatever it may be, however the season shapes up to be, I planned on pitching from now until September, October, whatever it may be.”

Kelenic injury update
One day after an MRI revealed a Grade 2 strain of the adductor muscle in his left knee, Kelenic was at the Mariners’ Spring Training complex bright and early -- even before Servais.

Kelenic met with trainers and began mapping out a rehab process, but he’ll still need to let the injury heal over the next few days. Kelenic’s recovery will likely be a matter of weeks.

“We need to be patient with this one,” Servais said. “I know he wants to get out there as quick as you can, and we're not going to slow him down by any means. And I know he'll be the first one here every day because he wants to get back on the field as quick as he can.”

How does Servais plan to balance the patience of letting MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 prospect properly heal and not jump back into things as quickly as possible?

“I really trust our medical group, our doctors, our trainers, our strength coaches and I take their lead,” Servais said. “When they tell me that he's good, or he's right at 100 percent or close to it, we'll run him back out there. I've also over the years realized that you need to trust players as well, and trust what they're saying. Guys are really in-tune to their bodies, as Jarred is. But at the end of the day, I trust our medical group and they will let me know when he's ready.”

Up next
Yusei Kikuchi will look to follow his strong Spring Training debut on Monday when he takes the hill against the same Cleveland club that he faced last week at Goodyear Ballpark. The lefty has flashed some much-improved stuff that the Mariners are banking on this season and will pitch opposite righty Zach Plesac, who is coming off a stellar 2020. First pitch is slated for 12:05 p.m. PT, and fans can listen live via a free audio webcast.