BRENT STECKER

Mariners option Taijuan Walker to AAA, call up Arquimedes Caminero

Aug 8, 2016, 3:41 PM | Updated: 4:08 pm

Taijuan Walker...

The Mariners had high hopes for pitcher Taijuan Walker, but he's been plagued by inconsistency. (AP)

(AP)

The Mariners made a surprising roster move Monday afternoon, optioning Taijuan Walker to Triple-A Tacoma.

Fellow right-handed pitcher Arquimedes Caminero, who was acquired Saturday from the Pirates in a trade, was recalled to take his place on the 25-man roster.

Walker, who will turn 24 on Aug. 13, returned Saturday from a stint on the disabled list due to right foot tendinitis. His start didn’t fare well, as he gave up six runs and lasted just four innings in the Mariners’ 8-6 win over the Angels.

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In 17 starts this year, Walker has a 4.10 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 80 strikeouts and 20 walks over 90 innings.

Per 710 ESPN Seattle’s Shannon Drayer, Mariners manager Scott Servais indicated while meeting with the media on Monday afternoon that the team is looking for more consistency from Walker and are approaching his situation similarly to those of southpaw James Paxton and catcher Mike Zunino. Both Paxton and Zunino started the year in Triple-A despite having significant MLB experience and were later recalled by the Mariners after finding consistent success with the Rainiers.

The move could also be in order to give Walker a lighter workload while he continues to recover from his foot injury. The tendinitis had been an issue in four starts previous to Saturday’s game, dating back to June 14 when he was pulled after only 3 1/3 innings in Tampa Bay.

The hard-throwing Caminero, 29, appeared in 39 games for Pittsburgh this season, posting a 3.51 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 32 strikeouts and 22 walks over 41 innings.

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Mariners option Taijuan Walker to AAA, call up Arquimedes Caminero