Mariners place reliever Sam Tuivailala on unconditional release waivers
The Seattle Mariners placed right-handed reliever Sam Tuivailala on unconditional release waivers Friday with the purpose of granting him his unconditional release.
Tuivailala, 27, was battling a shoulder impingement in camp this spring, and threw in one simulated game, but did not appear in a Cactus League game for the Mariners before spring training was suspended last week.
The Mariners did not specify why they opted to release Tuivailala after avoiding arbitration in January by settling with him on a reported $800,000 deal, but his injury history with the club could have played a part.
Tuivailala was traded to Seattle from St. Louis in July of the 2018 season, and ruptured his right Achilles tendon five games into his Mariners tenure. He had season-ending surgery that August, and ultimately spent the next 11 months on the injured list.
He opened the 2019 season on the injured list, and made multiple rehab assignments with Short-A Everett, High-A Modesto, Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma — in one stint with the Rainiers, fatigue in his throwing arm caused another setback — before finally returning to Seattle’s bullpen midway through July.
Across two seasons, Tuivailala appeared in just 28 games for the Mariners, posting a 2-0 record and 2.22 ERA over 28 1/3 innings while striking out 31 and walking 12.
When he returned last summer, Tuivailala at one point tossed 14 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, striking out 16 during that span.
Seattle’s 40-man roster is now at 38 players, and its spring training roster is at 44.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 1:22 PM.
