The Mariners made a roster move before Tuesday's game in Baltimore, activating reliever Joaquin Benoit from the disabled list. To make room on the roster, right-handed reliever Mayckol Guaipe was optioned to Class AAA Tacoma.
BALTIMORE — A pregame catch session amidst the steady rain drops falling at Camden Yards was enough for the Mariners to activate reliever Joaquin Benoit from the disabled list.
Benoit played catch briefly well before Tuesday’s game to make sure there were no issues with his shoulder or the rest of his 38-year-old body. With no problems, the Mariners were satisfied enough to make the roster move, optioning reliever Mayckol Guaipe to Class AAA Tacoma. Even though the Mariners expected activate Benoit in the early days of the road trip, Guaipe still flew to Baltimore with the team. He’ll fly back to the Northwest for an upcoming series at Cheney Stadium. Guaipe met with Servais shortly after Benoit returned from throwing.
Why the pre-emptive throwing session?
“He wanted to go out and play catch to see how he felt,” manager Scott Servais. “If he was tight, we would have waited a day.”
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Benoit made five relief appearances before shoulder stiffness, which had been an issue in spring training, forced him to the disabled list on April 23. He was slotted to be the Mariners’ eighth inning set-up man in front of closer Steve Cishek. It’s a role he will slide back into now that he’s healthy.
“You have to keep in mind that Benoit is not going to go out and pitch three or four days in a row,” Servais said. “That’s not going to happen. He’s going to need some time to get his legs underneath him and get his arm (going) and build from there.”
Guaipe made five appearances, giving up six runs (four earned) in 7 1/3 innings pitched. He will go back to pitching in the back-end of the bullpen for the Rainiers. Why Guaipe and not Steve Johnson? Well, Johnson has pitched a little better, can go multiple innings and is also out of minor league options. The Mariners would have to designate Johnson for assignment and open him to waivers claims. Even if he did clear and was outrighted to Tacoma, the Mariners would have to make another 40-man roster move if they ever wanted to recall him again.