Mariners recall 1B Justin Smoak from AAA Tacoma
OF Michael Saunders Placed on 15-day Disabled List.
SEATTLE, Wash. - Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik announced the following roster moves:
- Michael Saunders, OF, placed on 15-day disabled list with strained left oblique
- Justin Smoak, 1B, recalled from AAA Tacoma
Smoak (#17) will be in uniform for tonight's game vs. the Oakland Athletics at Safeco Field (7:10 pm).
Smoak, 27, hit .284 (21x74) with 4 doubles, 3 home runs and 11 RBI in 19 games with AAA Tacoma. In his last 10 games with the Rainiers (June 29-July 10), Smoak hit .325 (13x40) with a double and 2 home runs. He collected hits in his last four AAA games (12x19/.632), including two home runs on July 9 at Salt Lake City.
Smoak began the year with Seattle and hit .208 with 12 doubles and 7 home runs in 63 games. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 11 with a strained left quad, and began a rehabilitation assignment at Tacoma on June 18. He was recalled from his rehab assignment on optioned to Tacoma on July 4.
Saunders, 27, left last night's game vs. Minnesota in the middle of an at-bat in the 8th inning with pain in his left side. An MRI today confirmed a diagnosis of a strained left oblique muscle. Saunders was hitting .276 (54-for-196) with 7 doubles, 3 triples, 6 home runs and 28 RBI in 65 games with Seattle this season. Since May 16, he was hitting .313 (35x112) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs and 21 RBI in 31 games. This is his second disabled list stint of the season; he was on the DL June 12-June 27 with inflammation in his right AC joint.