Gilbert is working on a split-changeup this spring that he unveiled in his Cactus League debut against the Padres on Thursday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Gilbert allowed three earned runs on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings versus the Padres, even though manager Scott Servais feels the 25-year-old is the furthest along of the Mariners hurlers experimenting with some form of a splitter at the moment. The right-hander took a major step forward with a 13-6 record, 3.20 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across 32 starts in 2022, but he also was unsurprisingly fatigued by the time Seattle's postseason concluded after throwing 185.2 innings during the regular season and 5.1 frames in his one playoff start. Consequently, Kramer notes Gilbert is being eased into his spring training work, and the plan is to keep a close eye on how much live hitting he faces in Cactus League play. "I think they're on track with probably the best idea for what I should do," Gilbert said. "I've been feeling great and bullpens, locked in."