Mariners’ September call-ups will be impacted by success in minors

Do not expect an influx of players called up initially when the calendar turns to September and rosters expand from 25 to 40 on Thursday.

The Mariners are expected to add four or five players to start with and then go from there. Players who are on the 40-man roster are eligible to be called up, while players like Nori Aoki who have recently been optioned to the minor leagues are still subject to 10-day rule – unless the team they have been assigned to has ended its regular season and postseason. The success in the Mariners’ minor leagues, with all teams appearing to be playoff-bound, will limit who Seattle can call up Thursday.

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“It’s good news,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “I’m really happy with the job our minor-league system (has done). The year our minor-league system has had is phenomenal. They should all be proud of that.”

Some organizations like to call up some of their younger players to get them exposure to the big-league clubhouse and routine. Will we see some of the higher-ranked prospects in Seattle at some point in September?

“I don’t believe in bringing a guy up just to sit him here,” Servais said. “Young players want to play. They are not here for vacation. It’s fun for a couple of days and they want to play and prove themselves. There’s got to be playing time and a spot for them to impact us.”

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