Mariners notebook: Gamel, Scribner to join team for homestand
Published 4:31 pm Thursday, September 1, 2016
SEATTLE — Just-acquired outfielder Ben Gamel and reliever Evan Scribner will join the Mariners prior to Friday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field.
The Mariners are also expected to recall catcher Jesus Sucre from Triple-A Tacoma. No corresponding moves on the active roster are necessary because the rules permit teams to carry as many as 40 players after Sept. 1.
Further additions are likely over the next week.
The Mariners did need to make a corresponding move on their 40-man roster in order to activate Scribner from the 60-day disabled list. They cleared space by transferring right-handed pitcher Nathan Karns to the 60-day list.
Players on the 60-day disabled list do not count against the 40-man limit. Karns, 28, has not pitched since July 29 because of a muscle strain in his lower back. The move ends his season at 6-2 with a 5.15 ERA in 22 games, including 15 starts.
Scribner, 31, made eight rehab appearances at four minor-league levels in August after suffering a torn back muscle in spring training. He gave up two runs in 4 2/3 innings in four outings at Tacoma.
The Mariners acquired Scribner from Oakland in a Dec. 8, 2015 trade for minor-league pitcher Trey Cochran-Gill. Scribner is 5-2 with a 4.21 ERA in 125 big-league games over the previous five seasons.
Gamel, 24, was chosen Tuesday as the most valuable player in the International League after batting .308 this season with a .365 on-base percentage in 116 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The Mariners obtained him from the New York Yankees on Wednesday in a trade for two low-level right-handed pitching prospects: Jio Orozco, 19, and Juan De Paula, 18.
Gamel made his major-league debut earlier this season by going 1-for-8 in six games for the Yankees.
Sucre, 28, is batting .276 in 28 games at Triple-A Tacoma after missing nearly three months while recovering from a broken leg suffered Jan. 17 while playing winter ball in Venezuela.
He has a .176 average in 84 big-league games over the last four seasons, including 1-for-8 in three games earlier this season.
Minor details
The Mariners entered Thursday with a magic number of one for completing a seven-for-seven sweep in having their minor-league affiliates reach postseason.
Hi-A Bakersfield qualified Wednesday for at least a wild-card berth in the California League with a 15-7 romp at San Jose (Giants). That means at least one more home game for a franchise that is folding when its season concludes.
Triple-A Tacoma reduced its magic number to one for winning the Pacific Coast North Division with a 5-0 victory over Fresno (Astros). The Rainiers, counting Thursday, have five games remaining.
***Peoria advanced to Thursday’s championship game against the Angels in the Arizona Rookie League. The Mariners posted an 8-1 victory over the Reds on Wednesday when rehabbing catcher Steve Clevenger went 2-for-3 with a double.
***The Mariners’ club in the Dominican Summer League forced a decisive game in its best-of-three series Wednesday with a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox 1 club. The teams play Friday with the winner advancing to the DSL championship series.
Looking back
It was one year ago Friday — Sept. 2, 2015 — that utilityman Shawn O’Malley, who started in center field, went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in his Mariners’ debut and fueled an 8-3 victory at Houston.
Short hops
Left-hander James Paxton is scheduled to test the repaired nail on his middle finger Friday by throwing a regular between-starts bullpen workout. Paxton suffered a torn nail in the third inning of Tuesday’s start at Texas. If all goes well, he is scheduled to start Monday against the Rangers at Safeco Field…the Mariners have drawn 1,841,499 fans this season to Safeco Field for an average of 28,773 a game. If they average just 20,881 for their remaining 17 home dates, they will have their highest attendance since 2008.
On tap
The Mariners open a six-game homestand at 7:10 p.m. Friday with the first of three weekend games against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field.
Rookie left-hander Ariel Miranda (1-1 with a 5.70 ERA) will face Angels lefty Brett Oberholtzer (1-0, 7.00). The game can be seen on Root Sports Northwest and heard on the Mariners Radio Network, which includes 710 ESPN.
