Minor MLB Transactions: 8/13/17

Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

• The Mets have selected the contract of right-hander Kevin McGowan, who will fill the open roster spot left behind after Neil Walker’s trade to the Brewers.  McGowan, 25, was a 13th-round pick for the Mets in the 2013 draft and he owns a 3.90 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and 2.29 K/BB rate over 62 innings (one start in 44 appearances) at the Triple-A level this season.
• The Astros released left-hander Ashur Tolliver, as per Paul Braverman of the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies media relations department (Twitter link).  Tolliver spent much of the season at Triple-A, where he struggled to a 7.13 ERA and 33 walks (against just 28 strikeouts) in 35 1/3 innings.  He also appeared in three games at the big league level for the Astros, posting a 3.60 ERA in five innings but also walking four batters as the control problems continued.  Houston outrighted Tolliver off its 40-man roster last month.
• The Mariners selected the contract of righty Christian Bergman prior to yesterday’s game (Bergman got some immediate use, tossing a scoreless inning in Seattle’s 6-3 loss to the Angels.)  Right-hander Andrew Moore was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.  Bergman has a 5.32 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 2.14 K/BB rate in 47 1/3 innings for the M’s this season, with eight of his 10 appearances coming as a starting pitcher.  He was outrighted by the Mariners just last week, though made a relatively quick return to not just 40-man status, but the big league roster.