Mariners activate Sam Tuivailala after long recovery from Achilles surgery

For the first time in over 11 months, Sam Tuivailala is an active member of the Seattle Mariners bullpen.

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The 26-year-old right-hander has been activated from the team’s injured list following two separate rehab assignments and a long recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon and subsequent surgery.

In the same roster move, the Mariners optioned right-handed relievers David McKay and Parker Markel to Triple-A Tacoma, leaving the team’s 40-man roster at 39. The team said in a press release that an additional roster move will come before its series opener against the Oakland A’s, set for 7:07 p.m. Tuesday on 710 ESPN Seattle.

Tuivailala first went on a rehab assigment on May 1, but after time with both High-A Modesto and Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners pulled him back and re-placed him on the 60-day disabled list. He went back out on assignment June 22 with short-season Everett, and over the last few weeks spent time with Double-A Arkansas and Tacoma.

In 101 career MLB appearances since his debut with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014, Tuivailala has a 3.55 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 92 strikeouts over 104 innings pitched. The Mariners traded RHP Seth Elledge to St. Louis for Tuivailala on July 27, 2018, but Tuivailala pitched just five games with Seattle before suffering the Achilles injury. With the Mariners, he allowed just one earned run on six hits and one walk over 5 1/3 innings, striking out four.

In his most recent stint with Tacoma, Tuivailala gave up one run and three hits with three strikeouts over two appearances (1 2/3 innings). Prior to that, he threw a scoreless inning in six straight outings with Arkansas, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out six.

McKay, 24, allowed three earned runs over two innings in his latest stint with the Mariners, which began July 6.

Markel, 28, gave up two runs in one appearance since his latest promotion to Seattle, which was also July 6.

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