Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today the following roster moves:
Paxton (#65) will start the Mariners homestand opener tonight (7:10 p.m. PT) vs. the Colorado Rockies at Safeco Field.
Paxton, 28, appeared in 1 game on a rehab assignment with AA Arkansas on May 26, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits (1 home run) while striking out 5 in 4.0 innings pitched vs. Frisco. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left forearm strain on May 5 (retroactive to May 3). He is 3-0 with a 1.43 ERA (6 ER, 37.2 IP) with 45 strikeouts and 11 walks in 6 starts with Seattle this season. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound left-hander has allowed one earned run or less in five of his six starts, while limiting opponents to a .190 (26x137) average. He opened the season with 23.0 consecutive scoreless innings (through 2nd inning on April 20), the longest to start the season in Mariners history, besting the previous mark to start the season by Mark Lowe (17.2 innings) in 2006. The streak ranks T11th-longest overall streak in club history (also: Freddy Garcia, 9/4-18/01 and Mike Moore, 6/24-7/4/88).
In parts of five Major League seasons, he is 21-15 with a 3.20 ERA (115 ER, 323.2 IP) with 298 strikeouts in 56 starts with Seattle. In seven minor league seasons, he is 27-24 with a 3.61 ERA (169 ER, 421.1 IP) with 450 strikeouts in 85 games, including 83 starts. He was selected by Seattle in the 4th round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Harper, 28, did not appear in a game with the Mariners after being selected from AAA Tacoma on May 28. He was 2-0 with 3 saves and a 1.89 ERA (4 ER, 19.0 IP) with 24 strikeouts and 9 walks in 15 relief appearances with Tacoma this season. He was acquired by Seattle as the Player to Be Named later from the Atlanta Braves on Dec. 11, 2015 completing a trade that sent RHP Jose Ramirez to Atlanta on Dec. 4, 2015. In 7 minor league seasons with Atlanta (2011-15) and Seattle (2016-17), he is 26-17 with 29 saves and a 2.21 ERA (87 ER, 354.0 IP) with 436 strikeouts and 113 walks in 229 career relief appearances. He was originally selected by Atlanta in the 37th round of the 2011 MLB Draft.