SEATTLE -- With the pending All-Star break lending itself to a respite for the Mariners' rotation, starting pitcher Sam Gaviglio was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on Friday and right-handed reliever Emilio Pagan recalled to take his place.
After taking the loss in Thursday's 7-4 setback to the A's, manager Scott Servais said Gaviglio won't be needed again until the fifth game after the break on July 18 in Houston. The tentative plan is for James Paxton, Felix Hernandez and likely Andrew Moore to start the three games against the White Sox on July 14-16, which would put Ariel Miranda, Gaviglio and Paxton in line to face the Astros in Houston the following three days.
Pagan will be making his fourth stint with the Mariners. He's 0-1 with a 4.22 ERA in 10 1/5 innings over four games, and has allowed just one hit in eight scoreless innings over his past two Major League outings.
Pagan threw four shutout innings in long relief at Washington on May 23 and four scoreless frames with five strikeouts on June 11 against the Blue Jays.
Simmons, O'Malley on road back
General manager Jerry Dipoto said reliever Shae Simmons "threw great" and was hitting 95-97 mph with his fastball in his first one-inning, 14-pitch rehab outing in the Arizona Rookie League on Thursday as he works back from an elbow issue that has sidelined him since Spring Training.
"Right now he has a throwing progression that will take him through July 17 and at that point we'll make a decision whether to add him here or want to see him continue at the Minor League level," Dipoto said. "But he's closer than he's been since we've had him in the organization and we're excited about that."
Additionally, utility infielder Shawn O'Malley will see his first game action this year in the next day or two as a designated hitter for the team in Arizona as he returns from right shoulder surgery.
Dipoto said O'Malley will need some extended time to build up his arm before he can play the left side of the infield and is likely targeted for an August return in a best-case scenario.
Outfielder Kyle Lewis, the club's top prospect, remains on a slow return from last year's knee surgery as he works with the Arizona club and won't return to Cass AModesto club until he's fully confident his knee is ready, Dipoto said.
Mariners sign 31 Draft picks
The deadline to sign players selected in the MLB Draft with remaining college eligibility passed on Friday with the Mariners signing 31 of their 40 selections, including 31 of their first 34 picks.
The club confirmed four previously unannounced signings -- right-handed pitcher Tommy Romero from Eastern Florida State College (15th round), left-hander Orlando Razo from UC Davis (16th), right-hander Jamal Wade from Maryland (17th) and lefty Chris Castellanos from Stanford (33rd).
Seattle's highest unsigned players were 13th-rounder Luis Alvarado, a right-hander out of Nebraska, and 14th rounder Trevor Casanova, a catcher from El Camino College. Also unsigned was 18th-round pick Myles Christian, a center fielder from Olive Branch High School in Mississippi.
The Mariners also didn't sign their final six picks, which included five high school players and one community college selection, most of whom had local ties