OAKLAND -- Rookie right-hander Chase De Jong, who took the loss for the Mariners in a 13-inning game in Houston in the first week of the season, was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Friday to give Seattle a fresh bullpen arm. Struggling Dan Altavilla was optioned to Tacoma.
Altavilla was a big part of the Mariners' bullpen plans this season, and he pitched well in his first five scoreless outings. But the righty surrendered six hits and seven runs (six earned) with five walks in 3 1/3 innings over his last four appearances.
"We need Danny Altavilla to be Danny Altavilla," manager Scott Servais said. "Coming out of Spring Training, we felt really good about where he was at. Just the last few times out, he's really struggled, command-wise as much as anything."
After walking two and giving up a three-run homer to Trevor Plouffe in Thursday's 9-6 loss to the A's, Altavilla's ERA rose to 7.36 in nine outings.

"It was a lack of feel for where the fastball was headed and then he kind of lost his slider," Servais said. "He's a good, young pitcher and he's going to help us at some point this year. We just felt the best thing for him was to get him back in Tacoma, get him right and hopefully he'll be back soon."
Altavilla, 24, performed extremely well in a late-season callup last season, with a 0.73 ERA in 12 1/3 innings over 15 appearances. He is ranked as Seattle's No. 8 prospect by MLBPipeline.com.
De Jong made his Major League debut against the Astros on April 5 in the Mariners' third game of the season and got two outs in the 13th inning before surrendering a three-run walk-off home run to George Springer after Seattle had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the inning.
De Jong opened the season with the Mariners only because lefty reliever Dillon Overton was on a three-day paternity leave. De Jong was optioned back to Tacoma, as planned, with Overton's return, the day after taking the loss.
The 23-year-old pitched well in two starts for Tacoma, going 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA while holding opponents to a .189 batting average. De Jong struck out 10 and walked five in 10 1/3 innings.
De Jong said bouncing back quickly after being sent back to the Minors was important to him.
"You don't really have a choice," De Jong said. "Five days go by and you get the ball again. I definitely learned from it. I want to be more aggressive toward hitters when the time calls for it. But getting back to starting down there was very comfortable for me.
"Working with [pitching coach Lance] Painter down there was very good and refreshing. Just stay within myself and log some innings, and have some success on the mound again. Now, I'm just thrilled to be back up here again."