Sonny Gray returns, will start in Twins afternoon game in Seattle

SEATTLE — Sonny Gray has lived up to his billing this season after coming over from the Reds in a trade — when he's been healthy.

The veteran righthander will get the start today (3:10 p.m., YouTube) when the Twins play the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. He is 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA, but has only been able to make seven starts because of injuries.

Gray comes off the IL for the second time this season, this after battling a right pectoral strain. He'll face Seattle lefthander Marco Gonzalez (3-6, 3.63).

To make room for Gray, the Twins sent lefthanded reliever Jovani Moran to St. Paul. In eight games with the Twins, Moran had a 1.74 ERA, with 15 strikeouts in 10¹⁄₃ innings.

Chase Petty, the 19-year-old former first-round pick the Twins traded to the Reds for Gray, is at Class A Daytona this season and in 11 games (six starts) has 38 strikeouts in 37 innings and a 1.400 WHIP.

The Mariners shut out the Twins 5-0 on Tuesday night, the MLB-high ninth time the Twins have been blanked this season.

The YouTube broadcast today will feature Scott Braun on play-by-play with Yonder Alonso as analyst.

The Twins will use primarily a right-handed hitting lineup against Gonzalez, although Luis Arraez and Max Kepler are the exceptions.

Arraez starts at second again with Jorge Polanco hampered by a bad back.

TWINS LINEUP

Byron Buxton, CF

Carlos Correa, SS

Gio Urshela, 3B

Gary Sanchez, DH

Luis Arraez, 2B

Jose Miranda, 1B

Ryan Jeffers, C

Max Kepler, RF

Gilberto Celestino, LF

MARINERS LINEUP

Adam Frazier, 2B

Ty France, 1B

Julio Rodriguez, C

Eugenio Suarez, 3B

Jesse Winker, DH

Dylan Moore, SS

Luis Torrens, C

Taylor Trammell, RF

Sam Haggerty, LF