In more roster shuffling Wednesday, the Mariners put RHP Blake Beavan on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis and called up OF James Jones from AAA Tacoma. Beavan, an emergency starter called up from Tacoma, started and was charged with a 5-0 loss Tuesday against Texas after he could not get his arm loose and was pulled after the fourth inning.
The 25-year-old Jones was on hand for the Rangers game in Arlington. Jones has yet to appear in a major league game.
Jones hit .310 (13×42) with seven runs scored, two doubles, one triple, four home runs and four RBIs in 11 games with the Rainiers this season. Jones made 11 starts in the outfield, including the last nine in center field. He went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, one double and one walk Tuesday night against Salt Lake.
In six professional seasons all in the minors, Jones combined to bat .282 (525×1864) with 319 runs scored, 98 doubles, 39 triples, 40 home runs, 244 RBI and 96 stolen bases in 502 games.
A native of Brooklyn, Jones was a fourth round pick in the 2009 June draft. He played three seasons at Long Island University (2007-2009), where he earned first team All-Northeast Conference three consecutive years.
Beavan showed some discomfort early on, then gave up back-to-back home runs in the second inning to Prince Fielder and Kevin Kouzmanoff. He said afterward his arm felt tired from the beginning and was unable to command his pitches. He’s said he’s never had an arm injury in his career.
Taijuan Walker out two weeks
GM Jack Zduriencik told The News Tribune that rookie pitcher Taijuan Walker, who held himself out of what was supposed to be a final rehab start Tuesday in AAA Tacoma, has a shoulder impingement and will be out at least two weeks.
That means he will shut down his pitching and will lose the gains he was making until Tuesday.
The club had not made an announcement about Walker prior to Wednesday’s game in Texas.
Doubleheader in Oakland May 7
The game April 7 in Oakland postponed by poor field conditions has been rescheduled as part of a standard doubleheader (not day-night) May 7. That is the final day of road trip for the Mariners that now has 10 games in nine days, followed by seven in a row at home, making for 16 games in 15 days.