Mariners demote OF Norichika Aoki to Triple-A to add extra reliever
Jun 24, 2016, 4:16 PM | Updated: 5:18 pm
Norichika Aoki signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Seattle in the offseason but is headed to the minors. (AP)
(AP)
With a pitching rotation hampered by injuries and a bullpen racking up innings quick, the Mariners made a drastic move to create room for an extra reliever: 34-year-old outfielder Norichika Aoki is headed to Triple-A Tacoma.
Mariners manager Scott Servais announced the move among several others while meeting with the media before Friday’s series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, which is set for 7:10 on 710 ESPN Seattle.
Also going to Triple-A is reliever Tom Wilhelmsen, while starter Adrian Sampson is headed to the 15-day disabled list. Joining the Mariners are pitchers Wade LeBlanc (Friday’s starter), Donn Roach and David Rollins.
Aoki, who played eight seasons in Japan before coming to the MLB in 2012, has played just seven career minor-league games, all on rehab assignments. He has a slash line of .245/.353/.313 with one home run, 11 RBIs and 36 runs scored. He is just 4-for-11 on stolen bases and has been shaky in the field.
Seattle signed Aoki in the offseason to a one-year, $5.5 million contract with a potential extra $1.5 million in incentives, and a vesting $6 million option for 2017. Though sending Aoki to the minors was unexpected, the Mariners were able to do so because he still has minor-league options left and doesn’t have the five years of MLB service time that would allow him to refuse the assignment.
The 32-year-old Wilhelmsen’s option to Tacoma was expected. He rejoined the team Wednesday and looked good in one inning on the mound. His appearance was out of necessity after Adrian Sampson couldn’t make his scheduled start Thursday in Detroit due to elbow discomfort during his warmup pitches in preparation for the first inning.
Wilhelmsen had to join the Mariners first before being optioned to the minors as a matter of procedure after he declined an assignment to the minors by Texas, which Seattle had traded him to in the offseason, and instead opted for free agency.
As for Sampson, he is headed to the DL with a right flexor bundle strain. The Mariners also moved reliever Tony Zych (rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder) to the 60-day DL.
The 31-year-old LeBlanc, who was acquired Wednesday from Toronto in a trade, has unofficially been the scheduled starter for Friday for a few days in the place of Taijuan Walker, who has left each of his last two starts with a nagging foot injury.
This is the second stint of the season with the Mariners for the 26-year-old Rollins, who was called up for a single game on June 17, throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings at Boston.
Roach, 26, has MLB experience with the Padres and Cubs. This is his first stint with Seattle.
