Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today the following roster moves:

• Ruben Alaniz, RHP, recalled from AAA Tacoma.
• Shawn Armstrong, RHP, returned from rehabilitation assignment at AAA Tacoma and activated from 10-day IL.
• Matt Festa, RHP, optioned to AAA Tacoma (postgame April 11).
• Erik Swanson, RHP, optioned to AAA Tacoma (postgame April 11).

Armstrong (#37) and Alaniz (#56) will be in uniform and available for tonight’s (7:10 pm PT) game vs. the Houston Astros.

Alaniz (ah-lah-NIECE), 27, has appeared in two games with Tacoma this season. He was 0-1, 2.70 (1 ER, 3.1 IP) with Tacoma, taking the loss on April 8 at Sacramento when he allowed 1 run in 1.1 inning pitched.

Alaniz was limited to 31 relief appearances in 2018 after two stints on the injured list, going 3-4 with 4 saves and a 3.38 ERA (16 ER, 42.2 IP) combined between Double-A Montgomery (4/3-6/18), GCL Rays (6/19-20), High-A Charlotte (6/21-24) and Triple-A Durham (6/25-end of season). The 6-4, 220-pound right-handed reliever, combined to limit opponents to a .215 (34x158) average, while walking 16 and striking out 33. He averaged 11.18 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, including striking out a season-high 6 batters in 2.0 innings on Aug. 17 at Pawtucket with Durham (2.0,2,0,0,1,6). Alaniz was on the injured list April 18-May 18 with a right calf strain and May 31-June 21 with a left calf strain. He also made 2 rehab appearances, including 1 with the GCL Rays on June 19 at GCL Red Sox (1.0,0,0,0,0,1) and 1 with Charlotte on June 21 at Palm Beach (2.0,0,0,0,1,4). After returning from his second IL stint, he went 1-3 with 3 saves and a 4.00 ERA (12 ER, 27.0 IP) in 20 relief appearances with Durham.

Alaniz was originally signed by the Houston Astros as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 14, 2009. The McAllen, TX, native is 45-42 with a 4.27 ERA (320 ER, 675.0 IP) in 242 career minor league games, 83 starts over 10 minor league seasons with Houston (2010-15), Detroit (2016-17), Tampa Bay (2018) and Seattle (2019).

Armstrong, 28, began this season on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. He began a rehabilitation assignment at AAA Tacoma on April 4. In 2 games with Tacoma he has not allowed a run while striking out 3 in 2.0 innings pitched.

Armstrong was 0-1 with 1 save and a 1.23 ERA (2 ER, 14.2 IP) with 15 strikeouts and 3 walks in 14 games with Seattle in 2018. He did not allow a run in 13 of 14 appearances with the Mariners and recorded his first career save on Sept. 30 vs. Texas. Armstrong was 15-for-17 in save opportunities while posting a record of 2-5 with a 1.77 ERA (11 ER, 56.0 IP) in 49 relief appearances with AAA Tacoma last season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound right-hander struck out 82 and walked only 26 while limiting opponents to a .192 (38x198) average against. He was selected to represent the PCL in the 2018 Triple-A All-Star Game in Columbus, OH.

The native of New Bern, NC, was acquired by the Mariners from Cleveland in exchange for international slot money on Dec. 13, 2017. He made his Major League debut with the Indians in 2015 after being selected in the 18th round of the 2011 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of East Carolina University. In parts of 4 Major League seasons with Cleveland (2015-17) and Seattle (2018) Armstrong is 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA (19 ER, 58.0 IP) with 53 strikeouts and 20 walks.

Festa, 26, has not recorded a decision but does have 3 holds in 6 relief appearances with Seattle this season. Overall, he is 0-0, 6.43 (5 ER, 7.0 IP). He has allowed all 5 earned runs in his last two appearances (1.2 IP) after beginning the season with four consecutive scoreless outings (5.1 IP).

Festa had four separate stints with the Mariners in 2018, combining for a 2.16 ERA (2 ER, 8.1 IP) in 8 games, 1 start, while holding opponents scoreless in 6 of 8 appearances.

Swanson, 25, made his Major League debut April 11 at Kansas City, tossing 2.0 innings and allowing a pair of runs. He struck out the first batter he faced, and finished with 4 strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. Swanson tossed 5.0 shutout innings in his only appearance this season with Tacoma, starting and leaving with a 2-0 lead April 4 at Sacramento. He struck out 8, while allowing 6 hits, no runs and no walks.

Swanson was acquired by Seattle from New York-AL on Nov. 19, 2018 (with Justus Sheffield and Dom Thompson-Williams) in exchange for James Paxton. He split the 2018 season between AA Trenton and AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, going 8-2 with a 2.58 ERA (33 ER, 115.0 IP) with 133 strikeouts and just 29 walks in 22 games (20 starts), combined. He held opponents to a .204 (85x416) batting average against, and allowed 3 ER or fewer in 17 of 20 starts. Swanson was originally selected by Texas in the 8th round of the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft.