Mariners option OF Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Tacoma, activate RHP Sergio Romo amid 8 roster moves

The Seattle Mariners have made a bevy of shuffling moves to their active roster ahead of a 13-game stretch without off days, headed up by a 10-game road trip to the New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox. Here they are in full...

The removals, totaling three new spots on the active roster and two on the 40-man roster which sat at 39 prior to today.:

• Option OF Jarred Kelenic to Triple-A Tacoma
• Option LHP Danny Young to Triple-A Tacoma
• Option OF Stuart Fairchild to Triple-A Tacoma, designated for assignment
• Designated RHP Yohan Ramírez for assignment (already in Tacoma)

The additions:

• Activate RHP Sergio Romo from 10-day injured list
• Select OF Steven Souza Jr. from Triple-A Tacoma
• Add 1B Mike Ford, just re-acquired for cash from San Francisco Giants
• Claim RHP Adrian Sampson off waivers from Chicago Cubs, option to Triple-A Tacoma

Both Souza Jr. and Mike Ford are in the lineup tonight, hoping to spark an offense that has struggled mightily to cluster their production. Souza Jr. has been one of the few bright spots in the lineup for the Tacoma Rainiers, and though his health has long been the major limiting factor, he’s looked capable of obliterating Triple-A pitching thus far this year. Difficult to imagine a more chasmic leap than going straight to facing Max Scherzer, but a big league opportunity is a big league opportunity. Ford never played for the Mariners in his first or second runs with the club, first as a Rule-5 pick then as a minor league free agent who was selected in mid-April as COVID ran through Seattle’s roster, but he did get a few plate appearances for the similarly-depleted Giants recently before returning to Triple-A.

For Kelenic, it is likely a deeply frustrating demotion, especially ahead of a return tour to the team that traded him away, however the 22-year-old’s struggles have lingered too prominently for the club to brush off. He’ll hope to regain his confidence and his consistency against Triple-A pitching and return refreshed. Romo’s return is not the entire calvary cresting the hill for the beleaguered bullpen, but he is a steadier, experienced arm in lieu of Seattle’s assortment of journeyman in the back end. Fairchild was not given much opportunity to play in Seattle, though his defensive versatility made him a solid emergency option and could show well with the bat in Tacoma to merit more looks in future. Young did all that was asked of him in his lone appearance, working 2.1 scoreless innings in Monday’s blowout loss to the Phillies. It was a sterling big league debut for the 27-year-old, and he may make another journey up sooner or later on the bullpen shuttle bus. Sampson will help in Tacoma’s thin rotation, though the one-time former Mariner has had more of a split role between bullpen and rotation in the past several years.