TODAY’S GAME
Opponent: Los Angeles Angels.
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
TV: ROOT Sports.
Radio: ESPN 710 AM.
Probable starting pitchers: Seattle left-hander Jason Vargas (6-10, 4.19 earned run average) v
s. right-hander Jered Weaver (14-5, 1.88).
Struggling Halman optioned
With his difficulties at the plate continuing and his playing time reduced, outfielder Greg Halman returned to the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers on Thursday. The Mariners optioned him there after he batted .230 in 30 games since he was called up to the Mariners on June 2.
The Mariners will add another player on Friday, expected to be newly acquired outfielder Trayvon Robinson. The Mariners acquired him from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday in the three-team trade that sent pitcher Erik Bedard to the Boston Red Sox.
The 23-year-old Robinson went 1-for-9 in three games with Tacoma. He played 100 games with Class AAA Albuquerque and is batting .289 for the season with a .374 on-base percentage, .552 slugging percentage, 26 home runs and 71 RBI.
Halman, 23, got only nine plate appearance after the arrival of outfielder Casper Wells in the Mariners’ trade last weekend with the Detroit Tigers. Halman struck out three times Wednesday against the A’s, giving him 32 strikeouts in 87 at-bats this season.
Cust released
Six days after they designated Jack Cust for assignment, the Mariners released him Thursday.
The Mariners signed Cust in the offseason for one year at $2.5 million, hoping he could bring home-run power to the middle of their lineup. Instead, he batted .213 with three home runs and 23 RBI in 67 games. He spent the past six week mainly on the bench as manager Eric Wedge looked at others to produce from the DH spot.
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