KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While it might be unpopular with the fanbase or even with some of the players, the Mariners haven’t given up on the pitching “piggyback” strategy.

But they are switching up the order of appearance.

Veteran right-hander Luis Castillo will get the start Monday night in Sacramento, Calif., vs. the A’s. Right-hander Bryce Miller will come out of the bullpen as the following pitcher.

In the debut of this somewhat unique system Tuesday against the White Sox, Miller got the start and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit with a walk and seven strikeouts. He threw 72 pitches. After Jose A. Ferrer closed out the sixth inning, Castillo started the seventh. He pitched a total of 2 1/3 innings on 54 pitches. He started the ninth inning with Seattle leading 1-0. He walked the first batter and hit the next batter to put the tying and go-ahead run on base. He came back to record a strikeout but was lifted for Andrés Muñoz, who allowed the two inherited runners to score in an eventual 2-1 loss.

Was there a reason for switching the order of appearance?

“The last time we went the other way, and this time we’re going to switch it around,” manager Dan Wilson said before Sunday’s series finale vs. the Royals. “I think that’s the best way to do it. It’s the most equitable way to do it and that’s how we’re going to go at this.”

Jerry Dipoto, president of baseball operations, hinted to the possibility of switching the order when he went on the Mariners’ TV broadcast during that first piggyback game.

Since Castillo threw less than 60 pitches in his previous outing, does it affect how the Mariners might have handled his start vs. the A’s?

“It’s was just the one time,” Wilson said. “It’s a nonissue.”

Ideally, the Mariners would prefer to see both pitchers reach roughly 70 pitches if possible.

Crawford at third?

After taking part in the Mariners’ normal pregame ground-ball routine at shortstop before Sunday’s game, J.P. Crawford moved over to third base, where he took several ground balls. He worked on throws to second for double plays and followed that up with ground balls where he threw across the diamond to first base. He didn’t skip a ball on any of them.

Since telling the Mariners the weekend before that he would move to third base to allow rookie Colt Emerson to play shortstop, Crawford has continued to start at shortstop while Emerson has played third.

Emerson started at shortstop in the final two games of the previous homestand as Crawford was dealing with a sore triceps in his throwing arm after being hit there with multiple pitches.

Is there a timetable for the switch?

“I think right now that the key for J.P. is to get himself healthy and the strength back, and where he needs to in terms of his arm, and get that feeling better,” Wilson said. “We can begin to assess how we want to break it down and how we want to progress in that order.”

Crawford actually expected to be starting at third base when the series in Kansas City opened.

“Not yet,” Wilson said.

It’s likely that Crawford will play at least one game at third base in the upcoming series in Sacramento.

Note

In his second appearance of a rehab stint, Gabe Speier (left shoulder inflammation) threw a scoreless inning for Triple-A Tacoma on Saturday night at Cheney Stadium. Speier struck out two of the three batters he faced. He needed nine pitches to get through the inning, throwing eight strikes.