The Mariners on Friday announced a trio of moves involving pitchers. The club selected southpaw Aaron Fletcher from its alternate training site, reinstated right-hander Yoshihisa Hirano from the injured list and placed lefty Taylor Guilbeau on the 10-day IL with a shoulder strain.
The Mariners will get their first look at Fletcher, a 14th-round pick of the Nationals in 2018. Along with Guilbeau and Elvis Alvarado, Fletcher joined Seattle last summer in a trade that delivered relievers Roenis Elias and Hunter Strickland to Washington. The 24-year-old Fletcher combined for a 3.72 ERA with 11.2 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over 19 1/3 innings during his Double-A debut last year, and now ranks as the Mariners’ No. 21 prospect at MLB.com.
Like Fletcher, Hirano’s now in line to make his first appearance as a Mariner. The former Diamondback, 36, signed with the M’s for $1.6MM during the winter, but he hasn’t pitched this season as a result of a positive coronavirus test. He’ll bring a 119 1/3 innings of MLB experience with a 3.47 ERA/3.85 FIP, 9.05 K/9 against 3.39 BB/9, and a 47.7 percent groundball rate to the Mariners’ bullpen.
In terms of run prevention, Guilbeau has been excellent this year, as he has yielded only one ER and eight hits in 7 2/3 innings. However, he has managed just three strikeouts against six walks.
