Short on lefty relievers, the Mariners re-acquired Roenis Elias, 29, from the Boston Red Sox Monday for a player to be chosen later or cash, and was assigned to AAA Tacoma. Elias was part of the Mariners’ starting rotation in 2014-15, making a combined 49 starts, before being traded to Boston Dec. 7, 2015 along with reliever Carson Smith for pitchers Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro.
Plagued by an oblique strain in 2017, Elias faced only two MLB batters in a September callup. This season at AAA Pawtucket, he pitched seven innings in four appearances and had a 1.23 ERA, with nine strikeouts, two walks and three hit batters.
In four MLB seasons in Boston and Seattle, he is 15-21 with a 4.20 ERA (134 ER, 287 IP) with 244 strikeouts and 114 walks in 55 career games (50 starts).
The Mariners’ MLB roster is at 39.
The Mariners (11-9) begin a three-game series in Chicago against the White Sox at 5 p..m. Monday.