Seattle Mariners Recall Left-Handed Reliever Before Friday's Game
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners made a big move for Dan Wilson's first game as team manager on Friday when it was revealed that Julio Rodriguez would play out in center field for the first time since July 21.
Turns out, the Mariners had one more move to make before first pitch against the San Francisco Giants.
Seattle recalled left-handed reliever Gabe Speier from the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers and placed right-handed reliever Yimi Garcia on the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. Garcia's IL placement was retroactive to Aug. 20.
Speier was optioned to Tacoma on July 30. He had previously spent more than a month-and-a-half on the injured list from June 1-July 19 with a rotator cuff strain to his throwing arm.
He has a 5.95 ERA this season with 26 strikeouts in 25 appearances.
Garcia was acquired by Seattle in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays on July 26. He's made 10 appearances for the Mariners since being acquired. He was effective at first. He had six scoreless outing in seven appearances.
Since then, Garcia has struggled. He's allowed four earned runs off four hits (two home runs) across two innings pitched in three appearances.
Former Seattle manager Scott Servais said that Garcia was dealing with a "soggy arm." during the tail end of the road trip. He was held out for the final two games of the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to his injury.
Speier hasn't always looked in top form during his limited time with the Mariners this season. But with 34 games left in the season and a noticeable lack of left-handed pitching (reliever Tayler Saucedo being the only other one on the roster), it definitely doesn't hurt to add Speier back in the fold.
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