Mariners option Altavilla as Moore gets callup

SEATTLE -- The Mariners announced on Monday that Andrew Moore had been recalled, while right-handed reliever Dan Altavilla was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
A roster move was imminent to allow Moore to join the 25-man roster after he was announced as Monday night's starter against the Royals at Safeco Field. Moore pitched eight innings in a 3-1 loss to the Royals, allowing three runs on five hits.
Moore, 23, made his Major League debut on June 22 against the Tigers, allowing three runs on six hits over seven innings. He's expected to remain the Mariners' rotation for the foreseeable future.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said carrying an extra position player with Nelson Cruz ailing with a sore right knee was the driving force behind the decision to option Altavilla. It also allowed Servais and the Mariners to tweak the hard-throwing right-hander's mechanics to yield more consistent outings.
"Danny will go down and he'll be back," Servais said. "He's certainly got the stuff to get them out in the big leagues, it's just about executing pitches and getting sequences going a little more consistently and then even making it simpler. When you've got that type of stuff, you got to get ahead in the count. That's typically when he gets into trouble. He throws a lot of pitches and gets behind in the count."
Altavilla, 24, has struggled frequently in his 29 appearances this season, posting a 5.46 ERA in 29 2/3 innings. All 18 of his earned runs were surrendered in 10 games this season.
Servais described what Altavilla is going through as "growing pains."
Cruz still recovering
A sore right knee sustained while awkwardly sliding into second base stretching out a double on Saturday is still significant enough to keep Cruz out of the starting lineup. The 37-year-old slugger said he felt better on Monday, but not good enough to start in the Mariners' series opener with the Royals at Safeco Field.
Cruz pinch-hit and struck out in the seventh inning of Seattle's 3-1 loss to Kansas City.
Cruz, who was named an American League All-Star for the fifth time on Sunday, is hitting .287 with 59 RBIs and 14 home runs this season.

Worth noting
The Mariners announced Monday that they traded right-handed pitcher Tyler Herb to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations.
Herb, 25, went 6-4 with a 3.31 ERA (36 ER, 98 IP) in 16 starts with Double-A Arkansas this season.