The Mariners made a flurry of roster moves before Friday night's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, most notably optioning struggling left fielder Nori Aoki to Triple-A Tacoma and selecting southpaw Wade LeBlanc from the Rainiers so he could make a spot start Friday for injured Taijuan Walker (foot tendinitis).
The other moves were meant to provide fresh arms for a worn-down bullpen that was overextended Thursday when right-hander Adrian Sampson was removed his start before throwing an official pitch.
Here's the gist:
- Right-hander Donn Roach was selected from Triple-A Tacoma and added to the 40-man roster.