Norichika Aoki claimed off waivers by Houston

Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto today announced the following roster moves.
· Norichika Aoki, OF, claimed off waivers by Houston
· Nathan Karns, RHP, reinstated from 60-day disabled list
After today's transactions, the Mariners Major League 40-man roster is now at 35 players. 
"We appreciate all that Nori did for us this season," Dipoto said. "Particularly in the second half, he made some key contributions to our success."
Aoki, who turns 35 in January, hit .283 this season with 63 runs, 24 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs and 28 RBI in 118 games with the Mariners. After hitting just .245 (61x249) in 67 games prior to the All-Star Break, Aoki hit .339 (57x168) in 51 second-half games. He also appeared in 24 games with AAA Tacoma, where he hit .323 (31x96).
Aoki signed with Seattle as a free agent on Dec. 3, 2015. He has also appeared in the Majors with Milwaukee (2012-2013), Kansas City (2014) and San Francisco (2015) after playing 11 seasons (2004-2011) with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Japan's Central League.
Karns, 28, was 6-2 with a 5.15 ERA (54 ER, 94.1 IP) with 101 strikeouts and 45 walks in 22 games (15 starts) with the Mariners this season. Karns was 6-2 with a 4.56 ERA (41 ER, 81.0 IP) in 15 starts. In 7 appearances out of the bullpen, he recorded 1 save while posting an 8.78 ERA (13 ER, 13.1 IP) with 17 strikeouts and 7 walks. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a low back strain on July 30 and was transferred to the 60-day DL on Sept. 1.