Segura lands on DL; Cloyd, Smith recalled

Infielder sprained ankle during slide on Thursday

June 2nd, 2017

SEATTLE -- Shortstop became the latest injury casualty for a Mariners team that has dealt with considerable adversity this season when he went on the 10-day disabled list Friday with a high right ankle sprain.
But not all the news was bad.
Designated hitter was also taken out of Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Rockies with a bruised right hand after being hit with a pitch. But the slugger didn't suffer any broken bones and was back in the lineup for Friday's series opener with the Rays at Safeco Field.
With Segura expected to miss at least the minimum 10 days, infielder Tyler Smith was called up from Triple-A Tacoma to provide depth. Utility infielder will handle most of the shortstop duties in Segura's absence, but manager Scott Servais said Smith would make his Major League debut at that position, possibly as soon as this weekend.
Smith, an eighth-round Draft pick out of Oregon State in 2013, was hitting .265 in 50 games for Tacoma.
Segura shared the American League batting lead with Corey Dickerson of the Rays at .341 heading into Friday's play, but twisted his ankle sliding into second base in the fourth inning Thursday.
"Time-table wise, we don't really know yet," Servais said. "We'll see where he's at in about seven days when we can get a little better feel for that. It could have been much worse. With everything else that's happened to us this year, it was tough to watch everything happen in that ballgame with those two guys."

The Mariners also called up right-hander and optioned right-hander back to Tacoma. Cloyd, 30, was 1-0 with a 1.10 ERA, 14 strikeouts and no walks in four starts for Tacoma after making three starts for the Somerset Patriots in the Independent Atlantic League.
To make room for Cloyd and Smith on the 40-man roster, the Mariners moved right-hander from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL and designated recently claimed outfielder for assignment.
Cloyd pitched 19 games, including 17 starts, for the Phillies in 2012-13 and was 4-9 with a 5.98 ERA. He spent 2015 pitching in Korea before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2016.
"It's been a fun ride, that's for sure," Cloyd said. "To be honest, I didn't think it would happen this fast. You put all the work in coming back from surgery and doing rehab to get back here, but it happened a little quicker and I'm happy to be here.
"This is something special for me. It's something I've been working for since 2013. We're here, we'll enjoy it, but at the same time, we have work to do."
Cloyd gets his opportunity because Lawrence threw 86 pitches while striking out nine in a five-inning long relief stint in Thursday's 6-3 loss and wasn't going to be available for the next few games, leaving the Mariners looking for a replacement in the interim.
"Casey Lawrence did a phenomenal job for us and really has pitched well since he's been here," Servais said. "He kind of exhausted all his pitches and was going to be down for a few days, so we're trying to get a fresh arm in here, which we've done multiple times over the last couple weeks to keep our bullpen afloat."
The Mariners have already used 43 players, including 27 pitchers, in their first 55 games and those numbers will increase as soon as Cloyd or Smith gets in a game. But Servais said the club can't dwell on that.
"I've never been one to sit around feeling sorry for myself," he said. "It doesn't matter where you've come from, it's where you end up. Hopefully we can look back and be in a very competitive spot in August and September and say, 'Wow, can you believe we got through that?' That's what I'm hoping for."