CF Austin Jackson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained ankle and LHP Joe Beimel, RHP Mark Lowe and SS Chris Taylor were called up from AAA Tacoma before the Mariners began a three-game series in Anaheim Monday against the Angels. Taylor was inserted into the starting lineup, batting ninth. Justin Ruggiano will start in center, hitting second.
Brad Miller, who has started at shortstop since a pitch broke a bone in Taylor’s right wrist during spring training March 27, is 3×21 on the current seven-game road trip. Jackson was injured Sunday in Houston when he stepped on the foot of pitcher Roberto Hernandez, who was covering first base.
After the game Sunday, relievers Tyler Olson and Yoervis Medina were sent down to Tacoma. Beimel and Lowe arrived Monday and were available for the game.
Taylor, 24, hit .313 (25×80) with 12 runs, five doubles, a triple, two home runs and six RBI in 21 games at Tacoma this season, including a rehab assignment April 11-17.
Beimel, 38, was 1-0 with no earned runs in 3.2 IP with five strikeouts in three appearances with Tacoma. He signed a minor league contract April 2 and began the season in extended spring training before joining the Rainiers.
With the Mariners last season he was 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA (11 ER, 45 IP) in 56 appearances while limiting left-handed hitters to a .188 batting average and a .217 on-base percentage.
Lowe, 31, was 0-1 with a 1.00 ERA in innings with 11 strikeouts in seven appearances in Tacoma. He signed a minor league contract with Seattle in December. He spent parts of five seasons with Seattle (2006-2010). In 2014 he appeared in seven games with Cleveland, allowing three earned runs in seven innings.
Two minor league players were moved. LHP Mike Kickham was designated for assignment. He was 0-2 with a 7.29 ERA in 21 innings, issuing 28 walks with 12 strikeouts in five starts at Tacoma. Julio Morban, 23, was placed on the restricted list after leaving the Rainiers for personal reasons. He hit .194 in 19 games.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2202702 https://sportspressnw.wpengine.com/?p=2202702">1 Comment
I’m mildly surprised it was Taylor called up and not Franklin Gutierrez. Miller isn’t hitting but at least he’s healthy and Guti’s been playing very well in Tacoma. Montero’s getting it done down there, too, but there’ll be snowball fights in Hades before he’s called up…when you get in Mac’s doghouse, the only way out is to dig your way through to China.