Mariners Select Jhonathan Díaz

The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Jhonathan Díaz. Fellow lefty Josh Simpson has been optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot, infielder/outfielder Luke Raley has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Raley underwent season-ending flexor surgery earlier this month.

Díaz, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Mariners in the offseason. He has spent this year in the Triple-A Tacoma rotation, throwing 111 1/3 innings with a 6.22 earned run average. His 16.5% strikeout rate is subpar but his 8.3% walk rate and 43% ground ball rate are both close to average. He has 46 1/3 big league innings under his belt with a 4.66 ERA, 15.1% strikeout rate, 12.3% walk rate and 45.2% ground ball rate.

His selection is likely related to last night’s embarrassing loss. The Brewers crushed the Mariners 22-0, the most lopsided shutout in the majors since 1887. Simpson played a role in that, allowing five earned runs while only recording two outs, throwing 33 pitches in the process.

The M’s decided to send Simpson down and have brought Díaz in to serve as a fresh arm. Since he is stretched out, Díaz will probably be used in long relief, if needed. He has an option remaining and could be easily sent back to Tacoma if he logs some innings and is going to be unavailable for a few days.