The Seattle Mariners announced on Apr. 21 that right-handed pitcher Alex Hoppe has been recalled from Triple-A Tacoma, while Casey Legumina has been designated for assignment. The move comes as the Mariners’ bullpen faces challenges due to recent heavy usage and injuries.
This roster change is significant as it aims to provide additional depth to a bullpen that has recently been stretched thin. The decision follows Monday’s game against the Athletics, where Legumina gave up three tiebreaking runs in the eighth inning during a 6-4 loss. Several key relievers were unavailable due to prior workload, leading to difficult choices for the coaching staff.
“We were a little bit thin tonight,” said Mariners head coach Dan Wilson after Monday’s game. “And those are really tough decisions when you’re trying to hold people back so that you’re not going to overuse them. And we had to use several guys in the series prior. So, like we’ve said before, you have to put all that into consideration and make the best decision you can.”
Hoppe joins the team after an impressive start at Tacoma, where he pitched scoreless innings across his first eight outings and was successful in all four save attempts. He allowed only four hits and three walks among 30 batters faced with 12 strikeouts and threw an immaculate inning earlier this month at Sugar Land.
When asked about his approach, Hoppe said: “It’s pretty much just being in the zone. My stuff is good enough to play at this level. We’ve known that. But it’s like, how often, how consistent can I be in that box?” Hoppe primarily uses a four-seam fastball averaging 97.6 mph along with a slider which has proven effective against hitters.
Legumina made the Opening Day roster largely because he did not have Minor League options remaining; now designated for assignment, he could be traded or placed on waivers within one week by Seattle.
