Mariners select RHP Christian Bergman from AAA Tacoma

Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today the following roster moves.

May 7th, 2017

Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today the following roster moves:
Bergman (#56) will be available for today's 1:10 pm game against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field.
 
Bergman, 29, was 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA (7 ER, 29.0 IP) with 24 strikeouts in 5 starts with AAA Tacoma. He signed with Seattle as a minor league free on Dec. 1, 2016 after spending the previous seven seasons in the Colorado organization. Last season, he was on the Colorado Opening Day roster and in four stints in the Majors combined to go 1-3 with a 8.39 ERA (23 ER, 24.2 IP) with 22 strikeouts in 15 appearances (1 start). He spent time on the Major League 15-day disabled list with a strained left oblique May 20-July 9. He made 10 starts with AAA Albuquerque, going 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA (21 ER, 51.2 IP) with 33 strikeouts.
 
In three Major League seasons with Colorado, he is 7-9 with a 5.79 ERA (95 ER, 147.2 IP) with 90 strikeouts in 55 games including 15 starts. In parts of eight minor league seasons with the Rockies and Mariners organizations, he is 45-30 with a 3.57 ERA (264 ER, 666.1 IP) with 465 strikeouts in 117 games, including 108 starts. He was selected by Colorado in the 24th round of the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California, Irvine.
 
Whalen, 23, did not appear in a game during his one-day stint with Seattle on May 5. He made 1 start with AAA Tacoma on May 1 vs. Sacramento, tossing 4.2 scoreless innings while allowing 6 hits and 1 walk and striking out 4. He began the season on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation before being activated and optioned to Tacoma on April 27. He was acquired by the Mariners along with RHP Max Povse from the Braves for OF Alex Jackson a Player to be Named Later (LHP Tyler Pike) on Nov. 28, 2016. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-hander went 1-2 with a 6.57 ERA (18 ER, 24.2 IP) with 25 strikeouts and 12 walks in 5 starts with the Braves last season. Whalen earned the win in his Major League debut, Aug. 3, 2016 vs. Pittsburgh, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, 4 walks and 5 strikeouts over 5.0 innings pitched. He was placed on the 15- day disabled list on Aug. 25 with a right shoulder fatigue and transferred to the 60-day disabled list on Sept. 17. Whalen began the 2016 season with AA Mississippi, where he compiled a record of 7-5 with a 2.49 ERA (28 ER, 101.1 IP) with 94 strikeouts and 37 walks in 18 starts. After being promoted to AAA Gwinnett on July 14, Whalen went 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA (4 ER, 18.2 IP) with 18 strikeouts and 7 walks in 3 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, Fla.). In parts of 6 minor league seasons with the Mets (2012-15), Braves (2015-16), Mariners (2017), Whalen is 24-17 with a 2.42 ERA (98 ER, 364.1 IP) with 324 strikeouts and 121 walks in 67 career games (63 starts).
 
Simmons, 26 (turns 27 on Sept. 3), was originally placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right elbow strain on March 31. He was acquired by the Mariners along with OF Mallex Smith from Atlanta for LHP Luiz Gohara and LHP Thomas Burrows on Jan. 11, 2017. Simmons made 7 relief appearances with the Braves last season, posting a 1.35 ERA (1 ER, 6.2 IP) on 6 hits while striking out 3. He began the 2016 season on the 15-day disabled list while recovering from "Tommy John" surgery on his right elbow. The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews on Feb. 12, 2015. As part of his rehabilitation, Simmons made 3 starts with the Braves Rookie Gulf Coast League team (0-0, 6.00 in 3.0 innings pitched), pitched in 4 games (3 GS) with A Rome (0-0, 8.10 in 3.1 innings pitched) and made 12 appearances (4 GS) with AAA Gwinnett, compiling an 0-0 record with 1 save and a 1.50 ERA in 12.0 innings.
 
Simmons made his Major League debut with the Braves on May 31, 2014 at Miami and has appeared in parts of 2 Major League seasons, both with Atlanta. In 33 career Major League games, he has compiled a career record of 1-2 with 1 save and a 2.54 ERA (8 ER, 28.1 IP) with 26 strikeouts and 11 walks.
 
In parts of 4 minor league seasons in the Braves organization, he has posted a record of 3-4 with a 1.80 ERA (24 ER, 120.1 IP) with 172 strikeouts and 58 walks in 107 career games, including 13 starts. The native of Cape Girardeau, Mo., was originally selected by Atlanta in the 22nd round of the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Southeast Missouri State.