The Mariners introduced Friday that they’ve launched veteran right-hander Neftali Feliz. He’d been in camp as a non-roster invitee this spring however is as soon as once more a free agent. Seattle additionally optioned righty Will Klein to Triple-A Tacoma and reassigned non-roster gamers Samad Taylor and Nick Dunn to minor league camp.
Feliz, 37 in Might, hasn’t pitched within the large leagues since 2021 and has simply 4 MLB frames to his credit score for the reason that 2017 season. The 2010 American League Rookie of the 12 months has spent the previous few years pitching within the Mexican League and within the Dominican Winter League. He launched into a comeback bid with the Mariners and pitched 4 official innings throughout Cactus League play, yielding three runs on six hits and no walks with one strikeout.
Throughout his three-year run in a very hitter-friendly Mexican League, he’s pitched fairly properly. He’s pitched out of the bullpen for 4 completely different golf equipment and logged a 2.37 ERA with a 26.3% strikeout price and 9.8% stroll price in 121 2/3 innings. He’s persistently pitched properly with a pair of winter ball golf equipment as properly.
At his peak, Feliz averaged higher than 96 mph on his heater — he sat 92-94 mph together with his four-seamer in his closing Mariners outing this spring — and fanned greater than 28% of his opponents on the energy of a hearty 14.1% swinging-strike price. Accidents, most notably together with Tommy John surgical procedure and ulnar nerve palsy, slowed his profession. He posted a dominant 2.53 ERA with 87 saves and 12 holds in 241 2/3 frames by means of his age-26 season however has managed solely 151 large league innings with a 5.16 earned run common since.
One other membership can now speculate on Feliz if his work in Mariners camp intrigued them, and it’s additionally possible that he might return for a fourth 12 months in Mexico, given the success he’s had there courting again to 2022.
