Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today that the club has recalled infielder Mike Freeman from AAA Tacoma and optioned right-handed pitcher Tony Zych to AAA Tacoma (post-game 8/24).
Freeman (#6) will be in uniform and available for tonight's (5:10 pm PT) game at the Chicago White Sox.
Freeman, 29, was batting .290 (20x69) with 10 runs, 4 doubles, 1 home run, 7 RBI and 7 walks in 17 games with AAA Tacoma. In one prior stint with Seattle this season, Freeman hit .333 (2x6) with 1 RBI in 2 games. He made his Mariners debut on Aug. 7 vs. Los Angeles - AL and collected his first Major League hit and first RBI, going 2-for-3 with 1 RBI. Since being optioned to Tacoma on Aug. 9, Freeman has hit .240 (12x50) with 4 runs, 2 doubles, 2 RBI and 5 walks in 13 games with the Rainiers.
Freeman made his Major League debut with Arizona earlier this season on July 17 vs. Los Angeles - NL. He was claimed off waivers from Arizona on Aug. 1. Prior to his acquisition, he hit .317 (108x341) with 56 runs, 17 doubles, 6 triples, 1 home run, 24 RBI, 38 walks, 11 stolen bases, a .387 on-base percentage and a .411 slugging percentage in 88 games with AAA Reno this season. In parts of 7 minor league seasons with Arizona and Seattle, he is a career .290 (773x2669) hitter with 131 doubles, 29 triples, 16 home runs and 262 RBI in 733 career games.
Zych, 26, allowed 1 run on 3 hits over 1.2 innings pitched while striking out 2 and walking 2 in 2 relief appearances with Seattle since being activated from the 60-day disabled list on Tuesday (Aug. 23). Overall this season with Seattle, Zych is 1-0 with a 3.29 ERA (5 ER, 13.2 IP) with 21 strikeouts and 10 walks. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 3 (retroactive to May 2) with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder and transferred to the 60-day disabled list on June 24. The 6-foot-3, 190 pound right-hander recorded his first Major League win in the Mariners 10-7 10.0-inning victory over the Indians earlier this season on April 21, allowing 1 walk and striking out 1 in a scoreless 9th inning. Zych made his Major League debut with Seattle in 2015, appearing in 10 games in relief after being called up in September. He was acquired by Seattle in a minor league trade for cash considerations from Chicago-NL on April 2, 2015.