The Mariners Monday added RHP Arquimedes Caminero to their 25-man roster and, to make room, optioned RHP Taijuan Walker, who just came off the disabled list, to AAA Tacoma. Caminero will be available Monday night when Seattle begins a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers at Safeco Field.
The Mariners acquired the 29-year-old Caminero, a power pitcher with a fastball in the high 90s, from Pittsburgh Saturday in exchange for a player to be named later and a conditional player to be named later.
Caminero went 1-2 with one save and a 3.51 ERA in 39 relief appearances with Pittsburgh. In his last 21 appearances he had a 2.13 ERA. Caminero spent May 25-June 11 on the disabled list with a strained left quad.
In parts of four MLB seasons, Caminero is 6-4 with one save and a 3.86 ERA in 131 games, all relief appearances, with Miami (2013-14) and Pittsburgh (2015-16). He was signed by the Florida Marlins as a non-drafted free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2005.
Walker, 23, was activated from the 15-day disabled list (tendinitis in his right foot) Saturday and started that night against the Angels. He imploded, allowing six runs on seven hits over four innings. Walker is 4-7 with a 4.10 ERA in 16 starts. Walker posted a 1.44 ERA in April, the third-best April ERA in Mariners history.
The Mariners (57-53), who swept the Angels over the weekend and have won five of the past six and 11 of the past 18 to move into second place in the AL West ahead of Houston, start RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (12-7, 3.99) at 7:10 p.m. Monday against Detroit’s Michael Fullmer (9-2, 2.42).