ARLINGTON -- Outfielder Keon Broxton, who was claimed off waivers from the Orioles on Saturday, has reported to the Mariners and was in uniform for Tuesday's series opener against the Rangers in Arlington. He was immediately slotted into the Mariners lineup, playing center and batting ninth.

As expected, the addition of Broxton moved Mallex Smith to right field, at least for the opener at Globe Life Park.

"You guys know I like playing guys as soon as they get here," manager Scott Servais said during his daily meeting with reporters. "Try to get [Broxton] in, getting him acclimated, make him feel like he's a part of the team. He's out there tonight."

No corresponding move was needed to open a spot on the 25-man roster since utility man Kristopher Negron was traded to the Dodgers on Sunday night for Minor League infielder Daniel Castro.

Broxton is an outstanding defensive center fielder, though the 29-year-old hit just .204 with four home runs, nine RBIs and four stolen bases in 37 games with the Orioles after being acquired from the Mets for international bonus-pool money on May 22.

Between the Mets and Orioles, Broxton has hit .184 with four homers, 11 RBIs and eight stolen bases in 71 games

Broxton expressed appreciation for the chance he's been given by his new team, after waiting nearly a week between the Orioles designating him for assignment and the Mariners picking him up off waivers.

"I feel like I've gone to Mars and back a couple times," Broxton said. "It's all part of the business. I've learned a lot in my travels. It's actually been beneficial for me to go to different teams and learn from different voices and different minds and teammates."

With Domingo Santana limited to designated-hitter duties for the immediate future due to a strained right elbow, and Mitch Haniger (ruptured testicle) and Braden Bishop (lacerated spleen) not close to returning, the Mariners have been using infielder Tim Beckham and utility players Dylan Moore and Negron in the corner spots. Infielder Ryan Court made his first Major League start in right field on Saturday.

In that respect, the Mariners welcome the addition of a bona fide defensive outfielder.

"He's a talented guy, a really good athlete, a very good center fielder," Servais said of Broxton. "Give it a shot. We're light in the outfield right now, so I like getting outfielders back instead of having to play all the infielders out there. We'll see how that works out."

The question will be if Broxton can produce offensively. He hit 20 homers with 21 stolen bases in 143 games for Milwaukee in 2017, but his career slash line is just .215/.301/.397 in 347 games, and he's had 363 strikeouts in 963 plate appearances (38 percent).

"He's a really good defensive player," Servais said. "Hopefully we can unlock some things. He's struggled with the bat at times, like a lot of players do. That's why they're out there and you can go get them. We'll see what it looks like when he gets in."

Gordon nearing return

Second baseman Dee Gordon, who has been sidelined since July 23 with a strained left quad muscle, is traveling with the Mariners during their Texas swing and will work out with the team during its three-game stay in Houston this weekend.

Gordon is eligible to come off the injured list on Friday.

"He's doing better," Servais said. "If he gets through the workouts in Houston, we'll send him out on a rehab shortly after that, and then back with us. Just a game or two [of rehab], to make sure he's 100 percent."

Deadline jitters

Players may try to block out as much chatter as possible in the days and hours leading up the big Trade Deadline, but the reality is, they're only human.

And humans, as it turns out, pay close attention to rumors, reports and speculation, especially in these final days of July.

The visitors' clubhouse at Globe Life Park has several televisions, including one giant screen that sits at the front of the locker room area. Normally, it's tuned to MLB Network -- on mute. Such is not the case this week. The sound is on, and it's loud, and players don't need to be perfectly positioned nearby to hear all of the chatter among Network analysts as the deadline nears.

• Watch MLB Network for around-the-clock Trade Deadline coverage

This is normal clubhouse behavior for this time of year. Taking it in stride is another major part of the equation, considering most of the rumors thrown around don't amount to much.

"There's just so much speculation and every year you think, 'Oh, it's going to be a crazy deadline,'" Servais said. "And then you get to 48, 72 hours out and you realize there's probably not going to be anything that happens at all. It's more just people tweeting and talking about it and writing about it."