HOUSTON -- The Mariners’ self-proclaimed “season of opportunity” has pertained particularly to a rebuilding bullpen, and that trend continued Friday as right-hander Reggie McClain was called up from Triple-A Tacoma to fill the final opening after Wednesday’s Trade Deadline moves.
McClain, who was working out during the day and delivering Uber Eats at nights last offseason to make ends meet, made the rapid ascension from Class A Advanced Modesto to the big leagues over the past four months.
“I did not picture myself being in the big leagues this year,” said the 26-year-old. “Some time, but everything just kind of worked out the way it did. I just had the mindset to keep improving. It’s something you wait for. It’s crazy to be here. Kind of nuts.”
McClain's Major League debut came on Friday night at Minute Maid Park against the Astros. He allowed three runs, including two home runs, while striking out a pair in the fifth inning.
McClain earned a $5,000 signing bonus as a senior when he was drafted in the 13th round out of Missouri in 2016. He took a winding path to the Majors, dealing with a shoulder injury in high school and playing for three colleges before even getting to pro ball.
But after going 6-11 with a 5.01 ERA as a starter for Modesto last year in the California League, he moved to Arizona to train at the Mariners’ facility full time last winter, gained 20 pounds in a weight-training program and increased his velocity enough to warrant a switch to the bullpen.
“Last offseason, I was grinding,” McClain said. “I would go to the field in the morning and drive that night, delivering food all over Phoenix. People probably see me now and be like, ‘Oh man, what’s he doing up there?’”
The 26-year-old arrived with the Mariners for Friday’s series opener against the Astros at Minute Maid Park, joining right-handers Zac Grotz and Gerson Bautista, who were promoted to the big league club on Wednesday after Mike Leake, Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland were traded at the Deadline.
All three newcomers are relievers as the Mariners will go with a four-man rotation in Leake’s absence for the next few weeks, thanks to a handful of off-days that allows Marco Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, Wade LeBlanc and Tommy Milone to handle all the starts.
After Wednesday's trades, the Mariners have just one reliever -- Cory Gearrin -- who was on the 28-man roster that opened the season in Tokyo in March.
McClain and Grotz's first appearance for Seattle will be their big league debuts, while Bautista pitched with the Mariners earlier this season. The Mariners have had 13 players make their MLB debut already this season and have used an MLB-leading 59 different players. That number will reach 61 -- tying the franchise record for a single season -- once Grotz and McClain feature.
McClain was 3-4 with a 2.23 ERA in 72 2/3 innings over 29 appearances at three levels of the Minor League system this season.
The Georgia native went 3-4 with a 3.29 ERA in 41 innings over 17 appearances for Tacoma, including one start. He put up a 0.56 ERA in 16 innings in six relief outings for Class A Advanced Modesto and a 1.15 ERA in 15 2/3 innings over six games (two starts) with Double-A Arkansas.
Seattle’s 40-man roster is now at 38 players.
Worth noting
• Ryon Healy’s difficult season took another rough turn as the first baseman will undergo surgery on his hip on Tuesday after seeing a specialist this week at Stanford University. Healy has been sidelined since May 21 with back issues that were diagnosed as spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine.
General manager Jerry Dipoto said the belief now is that the back pain is being referred from his hip area and confirmed that the surgery would end any attempt at a comeback this year by the 27-year-old.
• Second baseman Dee Gordon did some running and took batting practice on Friday, and he will continue working out with the club in Houston before going out on a brief Minor League rehab stint when the Mariners returns to Seattle next week. He’s been on the 10-day injured list with a strained left quad for the past nine days.
• Right fielder Mitch Haniger has increased his workouts in Seattle as he’s recovering from June surgery on a ruptured testicle and could be ready to start taking batting practice next week.
• Center fielder Braden Bishop, who had surgery to repair a lacerated spleen in June, is back to running full speed and doing all baseball activity and could begin a rehab stint in another 7-10 days.
• Right-handed reliver Connor Sadzeck saw a specialist in Texas this week after having a flareup with his right elbow and has been shut down again from throwing. Sadzeck has been sidelined since early June with an elbow issue.
The news is better for fellow relievers Brandon Brennan, Dan Altavilla and Austin Adams.
Brennan, on the IL since June 14 with a right shoulder strain, has put up a 1.35 ERA in seven rehab outings for Tacoma and could be ready to rejoin the Mariners sometime during their next homestand.
Altavilla, out since July with a right forearm strain, has been throwing regularly and was scheduled for a 20-25-pitch bullpen session this weekend.
Adams, who went on the IL with a right shoulder strain on July 4, is finally feeling better and playing catch as he starts to build up his throwing program.