Eric Skoglund had gone more than three weeks without throwing a baseball in an actual game, the last 12 days spent as a spectator in the Royals dugout. And so 24 hours before he was set to return to the mound and open his 2018 season, he walked toward his locker and uttered one word.
“Finally,” he said.
The wait, however, left more rust than sharpness.
The Mariners pounced on Skoglund in the opening two innings, the impetus for an 8-3 victory Tuesday in front of an announced attendance of 14,850 at Kauffman Stadium.