Mariners pitching coach Carl Willis said Tuesday that Michael Pineda will make just three more starts this season. Pineda, who is currently at 153 innings in his rookie season, is scheduled to start September 3, September 10, and September 21 before being shut down for the season. His previous professional-high was 139 innings last year in the minor leagues.

Michael Pineda yielded two runs and three hits in six innings Saturday in a loss to the White Sox. Pineda struck out eight, but the run support wasn't there for him tonight. He's gone four straight starts without a victory, and with just nine wins on the season, he might be pretty much doomed in the Rookie of the Year race now.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge said Wednesday that he is considering using a six-man rotation. Anthony Vasquez was knocked around for six runs (five earned) over 5 1/3 innings in his major league debut Tuesday, but the Mariners could keep him around to ease the workload on Michael Pineda, among others. "We still have some off-days, so we'll pick and choose how we want to handle these guys," said Wedge. "Obviously, everybody is well aware of Pineda. We have some other young pitchers. And even Felix." Pineda has thrown a career-high 147 innings in his rookie season while King Felix is second in the American League with 200 1/3 innings pitched.

Michael Pineda allowed five runs on six hits and four walks in just five innings of work on Monday, taking a no-decision in Seattle's 6-5 win over the Blue Jays at home. He struck out six while allowing three home runs. Pineda is sporting a 6.75 ERA in 28 innings since the All-Star break, leaving no doubt that he's hit a major wall as the innings have mounted in his first major-league campaign. He'll get the Rays in Tampa this weekend.

Michael Pineda allowed three runs over six innings in a no-decision Tuesday. He struck out four and gave up five hits and two walks. The Mariners pushed back this start in an effort to limit Pineda's innings as the regular season begins to wind down. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed 20 earned runs over his last four starts of July. He was better in his first start of August. Pineda is now 9-7 with a 3.57 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.

The Mariners have pushed Michael Pineda's next scheduled start back to Tuesday in Texas. The M's are trying to limit Pineda's innings as the regular season begins to wind down. The 22-year-old right-hander has already thrown 130 total frames this year. He topped out at 139 1/3 minor league innings in 2010.

Michael Pineda's struggles deepened on Sunday, as the rookie righty allowed seven runs on eight in hits in just 4 1/3 innings as the Mariners got blown out by the Red Sox for their 15th straight loss. Pineda struck out four and walked one in what was his worst start of the season. He's now allowed 19 runs in just 15 2/3 innings over his past three outings, ballooning his ERA from 2.58 to 3.64. It could be time for the sinking Mariners to give him a breather and let him skip his next start. For now, his first chance to get back on track should come on either Friday or Saturday against the Rays at home.

Michael Pineda was smoked for five runs over 6 1/3 innings in Tuesday's loss to the Blue Jays. He struck out six, walking two and allowing seven hits. Pineda has now given up 12 runs in his last two starts, spanning 11 1/3 innings. It's certainly not the time to hit the panic button -- he's still a must-start in all formats -- but the rookie bears monitoring. Mariners pitching coach Carl Willis said Monday that he will monitor Pineda's workload moving forward and the 22-year-old is already closing in on the career-high 139 1/3 innings he threw at the minor league level last season.

Mariners pitching coach Carl Willis said Monday that he will monitor Michael Pineda's workload moving forward. The Mariners indicated last month that they weren't going to shut him down at all, but things have changed now that they have quickly fallen out of contention in the American League West. "His innings are going to become an issue, but I've mapped out a rotation through Sept. 1 that allows us to utilize off-days with him, give him as much rest as possible," said Willis. "We have a good number of off-days in August, so that will allow us -- if nothing else -- an extra day and sometimes two. We'll watch him closely, and at some point, we'll really sit down and map out the very end and say, 'OK, here's what we've got to do to get him through a point that we're all comfortable with looking toward next year.'" Pineda, 22, has a 3.03 ERA over 113 innings this season. He threw a career high 139 1/3 innings at the minor league level last season. Look for the young right-hander to be shut down at some point in September.

Michael Pineda has been added as a replacement to the AL All-Star team. He probably should have made it in the first place. Pineda, who is replacing the ineligible Justin Verlander, heads into the All-Star break with a 3.03 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and a strikeout per inning over 18 starts.