SEATTLE -- Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto today announced today the following roster moves:
• Nick Rumbelow, RHP, recalled from AAA Tacoma.
• Rob Whalen, RHP, recalled from AAA Tacoma.
• Daniel Vogelbach, INF, optioned to AAA Tacoma.
• Mike Morin, RHP, designated for assignment.
Rumbelow (#52) and Whalen (#63) will be in uniform and available for tonight's (7:10 pm PT) game vs. Boston at Safeco Field.
Seattle's Major League, 40-man roster, is now at 39 players.
The Mariners now have 7 days to trade, release or outright the contract of Morin to the minor leagues.
Rumbelow, 26, has recorded 3 scoreless relief appearances of 1.0 inning apiece with AAA Tacoma. He retired 9 of 11 batters faced, allowing 1 hit and 2 walks, while striking out 5. Rumbelow began the season on the AAA Tacoma disabled list with a brachial plexus injury before being reinstated on June 5.
The 6-foot, 190-pound right-hander was acquired by the Mariners from New York-AL in exchange for minor leaguers JP Sears (lhp) and Juan Then (rhp) on Nov. 18, 2017. Rumbelow split the 2017 season between AA Trenton and AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he was a combined 5-1 with 6 saves and a 1.12 ERA (5 ER, 40.1 IP) in 25 relief appearances. He averaged 10.04 strikeouts-per-9.0-innings (45 K, 40.1 IP) in 2017, while allowing just 21 hits and 11 walks for a 0.79 WHIP (11 BB, 21 H, 40.1 IP). He held opposing batters to a .150 (21x140) average against and did not allow a home run.
The native of Bullard, TX, was originally selected by New York-AL in the 7th round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Louisiana State University. He made his Major League debut with the Yankees in 2015, making 17 relief appearances and posting a 1-1 record with a 4.02 ERA (7 ER, 15.2 IP) with 15 strikeouts and 5 walks. In 2016 he made 1 appearance at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre prior to being placed on the minor league disabled list on April 11 and missing the remainder of the season after undergoing "Tommy John" surgery on April 19.
Whalen, 24, has gone 7-3 with a 4.50 ERA (36 ER, 72.0 IP) with 62 strikeouts and 25 walks in 13 starts with AAA Tacoma this season. Over his last 7 starts (5/9-c), he is 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA (14 ER, 39.0 IP) with 32 strikeouts and 13 walks. Of his 13 starts this season, 7 have been quality starts.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pound right-hander made 2 appearances, including 1 start, with the Mariners last season. He went 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA (5 ER, 7.1 IP). He began the 2017 season on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation before being activated and optioned to AAA Tacoma on April 27. He made 10 starts with the Rainiers last season.
Whalen was acquired by the Mariners from Atlanta along with Max Povse (rhp) in exchange for Alex Jackson (of) and Tyler Pike (lhp) on Nov. 28, 2016. He made his Major League debut with the Braves in 2016, going 1-2 with a 6.57 ERA (18 ER, 24.2 IP) with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks in 5 starts. In parts of 2 Major League seasons with the Braves (2016) and Mariners (2017-c), he is 1-3 with a 6.47 ERA (23 ER, 32.0 IP) with 27 strikeouts and 14 walks in 7 games (6 starts). The native of Stroudsburg, PA, was originally selected by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Haines City High School (Haines City, FL.).
Morin, 27, made 2 relief appearances with the Mariners after being selected from AAA Tacoma on June 8. He posted a 4.50 ERA (1 ER, 2.0 IP) with 3 strikeouts and 1 walk over those 2 games with Seattle. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander worked 1.0 inning yesterday vs. the Angels, giving up 1 run after allowing a triple to lead off the 6th inning. Prior to being selected by the Mariners, Morin went 2-1 with 3 saves and a 3.24 ERA (9 ER, 25.0 IP) with 28 strikeouts and 6 walks in 20 outings with AAA Tacoma this season.
Morin was claimed off waivers by Seattle from Kansas City on Dec. 8, 2017. He has appeared in parts of 5 Major League seasons with Los Angeles-AL (2014-17), Kansas City (2017) and Seattle (2018), compiling a 10-8 mark with 1 save and a 4.60 ERA (88 ER, 172.0 IP) with 163 strikeouts and 49 walks in 185 games. The native of Andover, MN, was originally selected by the Angels in the 13th round of the 2012 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina.
Vogelbach, 25, appeared in 1 game with the Mariners after being recalled from AAA Tacoma on June 8 for his 3rd stint with the Major League club this season. He went 1-for-2 with 1 RBI and 1 walk on June 8 at Tampa Bay. Overall this season, he is batting .210 (13x62) with 6 runs, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBI, 11 walks and a .347 on-base percentage in 23 games with the Mariners. He was named to his first career Opening Day roster prior to being optioned to AAA Tacoma post-game on April 25. In 32 games with the Rainiers this season, he is hitting .304 (34x112) with 9 doubles, 10 home runs, 24 RBI and 28 walks with only 18 strikeouts. He has an on-base percentage of .444 and is slugging .652 (1.095 OPS) in Tacoma.
Vogelbach made his Major League debut with Seattle in 2016, appearing in 8 games in September. He was acquired from Chicago-NL on July 20, 2016 along with Paul Blackburn (rhp) for Mike Montgomery (lhp) & Jordan Pries (rhp). In parts of 3 seasons with Seattle, he is batting .196 (20x102) with 6 runs scored, 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 RBI, 2 HBP and 15 walks in 47 games. Vogelbach was originally selected by Chicago-NL in 2nd round of 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Bishop Verot High School (Fort Myers, FL). In eight minor league seasons, he is a career .287 (727x2529) hitter with 394 runs, 152 doubles, 7 triples, 110 home runs, 462 RBI and a .393 on-base percentage in 701 career games. Vogelbach was a mid-season All-Star Selection in the Pacific Coast League and won the Rainiers Offensive Player of the Year Award and the Community Service Award in 2017.