New Seattle Mariners reliever José Castillo reported to the big league club Thursday, one day after being claimed off waivers from the New York Mets.
Despite alarming skid, Mariners’ playoff chances still safe for now
The M’s optioned left-hander Tayler Saucedo to Triple-A Tacoma (retroactive to Sept. 3) in a corresponding move.
Castillo, a 29-year-old left-hander, joins Seattle after making 21 appearances across stints with the Mets and Arizona Diamondbacks this season. He has a 4.98 ERA with 22 strikeouts and nine walks allowed over 21 2/3 innings this season.
The southpaw was effective in his limited action with the Mets, posting a 2.35 ERA with 19 strikeouts and six walks allowed in 15 1/3 innings.
A native of Valencia, Venezuela, Castillo has a 4.50 ERA in 62 innings over 61 games across parts of five MLB seasons. He spent the 2018-2023 campaigns with the San Diego Padres.
Castillo pitched for Venezuela during the 2017 World Baseball Classic.
Saucedo, a product of Maple Valley’s Tahoma High School, is heading back to Tacoma after tossing three scoreless innings of relief in the Mariners’ 9-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. The 32 year old has a 7.43 ERA with 12 strikeouts and six walks allowed in 13 1/3 innings over 10 appearances.
Saucedo has spent the past three seasons with the Mariners, totaling a 4.06 ERA in 128 innings over 115 appearances. He posted a sub-3.60 ERA in each of the past two seasons.
The Mariners conclude their nine-game road trip with a three-game series in Atlanta against the Braves. First pitch is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. Friday. Radio coverage begins at 3 p.m. with the pregame show on Seattle Sports 710 AM and the Seattle Sports app.
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