SEATTLE -- The Mariners made a minor shakeup to their bullpen on Saturday, adding right-hander Nick Davila and subtracting lefty Josh Simpson, who was just recalled the day prior.
Davila had his contract selected from Double-A Arkansas, while Simpson was optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma.
This is the spot that was occupied by Matt Brash before the leverage reliever was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right lat inflammation.
Because the Mariners had a vacant spot on their 40-man roster, no corresponding move there was needed.
“From what we've heard, he's really been filling up the zone and been attacking,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “And that's what we love about our guys. It's a chance for him to come up here and do it at this level.”
It’s not exactly the norm for the Mariners to dip into bullpen depth from Arkansas, but that’s how intrigued they are by the solid start from Davila (pronounced DAH-vee-LAH).
The 27-year-old will be making his MLB debut when he first appears in a game. He’s been off to a solid start at Arkansas, with a 2.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 10 strikeouts and one walk over nine innings, while holding hitters to a .182 batting average with zero extra-base hits. He also made seven Cactus League appearances earlier this year.
The number that really stands out is his 69.6% ground-ball rate. Davila operates primarily with a sinker/slider combination, but the breaking ball has by far accounted for his most usage, as he’s turned to it more than 70% of the time in this young season.
An under-the-radar name, Davila has actually been in the organization since signing a Minor League contract just before Opening Day in 2023. That came after a stint in the Tigers' organization, with which he signed as an undrafted free agent following the shortened, five-round MLB Draft in 2020.
The 6-foot-3 right-hander is a Hialeah, Fla., native. He played one season at the University of South Florida after transferring from Hillsborough Community College (Tampa, Fla.).
Simpson, who was recalled two hours before Friday’s game, did not wind up pitching during his brief stint.