Mariners select reliever JT Chargois, place Ljay Newsome on injured list

The Mariners announced they’re selecting the contract of reliever JT Chargois. Right-hander Ljay Newsome has been placed on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

Chargois, 30, was once a well-regarded relief prospect in the Twins’ and Dodgers’ systems. The righty has a power sinker/slider combination that has allowed him to miss bats and induce ground balls at the major league level between 2016-19. 

Despite posting career-best strikeout and walk numbers in 2019, though, Chargois only managed a 6.33 ERA in 21.1 innings for Los Angeles. He then signed with the Rakuten Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball but posted terrible numbers there last year, working to a 5.81 ERA with only 19 punchouts and 14 walks in 26.1 relief innings.

Seattle signed Chargois to a minor-league deal over the offseason, and he’s now in line for his first MLB action in two years. The opportunity presented itself after the Mariners used seven pitchers in last night’s 9-8 loss to the Rangers. Newsome left his appearance yesterday early with the aforementioned elbow injury, via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The 24-year-old swingman has a 7.98 ERA/3.56 SIERA in 14.2 innings this season.