BOSTON -- September roster expansion wasn’t for another day when the Mariners arrived at Fenway Park on Monday, but they were already preparing for slugging prospect Lazaro Montes to join them within the next 24 hours.
Separately, they also added a much-needed -- and welcomed -- return to their bullpen before a three-game series against the Red Sox, as Cooper Criswell was activated from the 60-day injured list.
Criswell was Seattle's most versatile reliever over the season’s first two months before before a right shoulder strain landed him on the IL on June 9.
In corresponding roster moves, reliever Nick Davila was placed on the 15-day IL with a SC joint sprain (to clear a 26-man spot for Criswell) and rookie shortstop Colt Emerson was transferred to the 60-day IL (to clear a 40-man roster spot).
In addition to Montes, the Mariners will be able to add another arm on Tuesday. Criswell was assumed to be the leading candidate before Davila sustained his injury on Sunday in Toronto.
“It's been kind of like Spring Training,” Criswell said. “It takes some time. Being shut down for so long, it took a little bit of time to build back up, just to get the arm in game shape.”
Criswell pitched in three rehab assignment outings, all with Triple-A Tacoma. The most recent came on Friday, when he recorded four outs on 15 pitches. He’d been pitching every third day, which should make him immediately available.
The Mariners might have to monitor his early workload, given that he’s been sidelined so long. It might be a stretch to expect him to immediately revert to the multi-inning and/or high-leverage spots that he blossomed into before the injury.
“It'll take a minute for him to get back and comfortable, and he's had his rehab outings,” manager Dan Wilson said. “But I think the thing about Cris is his versatility in the ‘pen.”
Indeed, Criswell was stretched out as a starter early in Spring Training before transitioning to the bullpen near the end of camp. Then, when Matt Brash and Gabe Speier were sidelined in May, Criswell was suddenly -- and successfully -- recording more consequential outs.
For the season, Criswell has a 3.52 ERA (112 ERA+, where league average is 100) with a 19% strikeout rate and 6.6% walk rate in 30 2/3 innings across 26 outings.
“Everybody on the team has a role, and you need to know your role,” Criswell said. “Good teams, their players know their role. And so coming in, I kind of knew that was going to be my role -- the long-relief role -- and then as Brash and Gabe went down early, some of the higher-leverage innings opened up, and I was just making the most of it."
Montes was en route to Boston on Monday, having played with Tacoma at Cheney Stadium on Sunday afternoon. He’ll be added to the roster and could make his MLB debut during this week’s showdown against one of the sport’s hottest teams and in one of its best but most hostile road environments.
The 21-year-old will be thrust into critical action for a team that needs a jolt.
“Obviously, the year he's put together, what he has done in the Minor Leagues, it would be great to have him,” Wilson said. “The one thing about Laz is his energy, and it’ll be great to add him to the roster tomorrow.”
Whether he’ll be in Tuesday’s starting lineup remains to be seen. The Red Sox have not announced a starter for that game, after pushing back right-hander Sonny Gray. They will send lefty Patrick Sandoval to the mound in Wednesday’s finale, though he has reverse splits that include a .989 OPS against left-handed hitters.
“It's going to be a matter of picking our spots and finding situations for [Montes] to get in the lineup,” Wilson said. “And that will remain to be seen as we go, but certainly some of it's how he handles everything and how it all goes for him, too.”