Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today the following roster moves:
·         David Phelps, RHP, reinstated from the 10-day disabled list.
·         Leonys Martin, OF, designated for assignment.
Phelps (#46) will be in uniform and available for tonight's (4:35 p.m. PT/7:35 p.m. ET) game at the Atlanta Braves.
The Mariners now have 7 days to trade, release or outright the contract of Martin to the minor leagues.
Phelps, 30, was placed on the 10-day disabled list with an impingement in his right elbow on August 8 (retroactive to 8/7). Since being acquired by the Mariners (7/20-c), he is 1-1 with 3 holds and a 2.57 ERA (2 ER, 7.0 IP) in 7 relief appearances. During that span, he has recorded 11 strikeouts and just 1 walk. The 6-foot-2, 198-pound right-hander was acquired on July 20 in a 5-player deal that sent minor leaguer outfielder Brayan Hernandez and minor league right-handed pitchers Pablo Lopez, Brandon Miller and Lukas Schiraldi to Miami. Overall, he is 3-5 with 21 holds and a 3.33 ERA (20 ER, 54.0 IP) with 62 strikeouts and 22 walks in 51 combined appearances with the Mariners and Marlins this season. At the time of his DL placement (8/8), he ranked 2nd among Major League relievers in holds (21) and T15th in innings pitched (54.0).
In 2016, Phelps posted career-bests in wins (7), saves (4), strikeouts (114), ERA (2.28), opponents average against (.197) and holds (25). Overall, he was 7-6 with 4 saves and a 2.28 ERA (22 ER, 86.2 IP) with 114 strikeouts and 38 walks in 64 games with Miami. Over parts of 6 Major League seasons with the Yankees (2012-14), Marlins (2015-17) and Mariners (2017), he is 29-33 with 5 saves and a 3.88 ERA (238 ER, 552.0 IP) with 520 strikeouts and 212 walks in 225 career games (64 starts).
Martin, 29, hit .174 (20x115) with 12 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs and 8 RBI in 34 games with Seattle this season. Since being selected from AAA Tacoma on July 30, he was batting .230 (14x61) with 7 runs, 1 double, 1 triple, 3 home runs and 8 RBI in 19 games. After being outrighted to AAA Tacoma on April 27 (designated for assignment on April 23), he hit .312 (108x346) with 62 runs, 24 doubles, 5 triples, 11 home runs, 39 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 84 games with the Rainiers.
Martin was originally acquired by the Mariners along with RHP Anthony Bass from Texas in exchange for RHP Tom Wilhelmsen, OF James Jones and a player to be named later (Partrick Kivlehan, Dec. 2, 2015) on Nov. 16, 2015. The native of Villa Clara, Cuba, has appeared in parts of 7 Major League seasons with the Rangers (2011-15) and Mariners (2016-17), posting a career batting average of .248 (487x1965) with 252 runs, 71 doubles, 19 triples, 38 home runs, 175 RBI and 114 steals in 606 career games.