Mariners call up top prospect Edwin Diaz to bolster bullpen
Jun 4, 2016, 2:18 PM | Updated: 4:38 pm
Edwin Diaz is one of the. (AP)
(AP)
ARLINGTON, Texas – Mariners top pitching prospect Edwin Diaz has been called up and has joined the club in Texas. Diaz, drafted as a starter, has opened eyes quickly in his very new role as a reliever.
“I would have been shocked if this could have gone any better for Edwin than it has,” Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto said on the Sunday Mariners Magazine show a week ago.
Seattle optioned Cody Martin to Triple-A Tacoma to make room on the roster for Diaz. Martin, 26, was called up Thursday and appeared in back-to-back games for Seattle. He pitched a scoreless inning Thursday vs. San Diego and earned the win, and allowed one run in three innings Friday in a loss to Texas. He allowed five hits, struck out two and walked one batter over the two outings.
Diaz has made 10 appearances as a reliever at Double-A Jackson, pitching 11 2/3 innings, striking out 16 and walking two without surrendering an earned run. While his first outings were scripted, entering in clean situations at the start of innings, over the past 10 days he has entered games in multiple situations and even pitched back-to-back days once.
The 22 year old was a third round pick of the Mariners out of Caguas Millitary Academy in Puerto Rico. In five minor league seasons he has posted an ERA of 3.15, mostly as a starter, while averaging 9.5 strikeouts per inning. In relief he has thrown 94-99 mph and run a strikeout rate closer to 15 per nine innings. His fastball has good action and sink and he compliments it with a good slider.
The Mariners have lacked a power right-handed arm in the bullpen since Tony Zych hit the disabled list on May 3 with tendonitis in his rotator cuff.
