Morales says he’s glad to be with Mariners
When Kendrys Morales returned to Seattle earlier this month as a member of the Minnesota Twins, he said that he’d “moved on” after his one season with the Mariners.
On Friday, he moved back in.
Morales, who turned down offers from Seattle last winter, was reacquired in a trade Thursday.
Wearing jersey No. 21, Morales batted fourth as the designated hitter in Friday night’s 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. He went 0 for 3 and drove in the Mariners’ run with a sacrifice fly.
“It caught me by surprise,” Morales said through an interpreter. “It sort of came together quickly. It’s a surprise and I’m glad to be here.”
The Mariners traded minor league pitcher Stephen Pryor to get the 31-year-old Morales.
Morales hit 23 home runs with 80 RBIs for the Mariners last season. He then rejected an offer to stay with Seattle, became a free agent and eventually signed with Minnesota on June 8. He hit just .234 with one home run and 18 RBIs in 39 games.
Morales said that his time with Minnesota served as a kind of spring training.
“I’ve been playing better lately and swinging the bat with a little more authority,” he said.
Giants call up Uggla
Dan Uggla needed a fresh start. The San Francisco Giants needed a healthy second baseman who could step in and produce.
A week after being released by the Atlanta Braves and just days after signing a minor league deal with San Francisco, the Giants purchased Uggla’s contract from Triple-A Fresno. They put him in the starting lineup for the series opener against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 0 for 2.
The Giants have had little production from their second basemen this season. Marco Scutaro, who has played only five games this season, and Ehire Adrianza, hitting .237, were placed on the 15-day disabled list.
The 34-year-old Uggla had five straight 30-homer seasons for the Marlins and Braves from 2007-11. But since 2012, he has hit just .196 with 43 homers and 143 RBIs in 1,101 at-bats.
Clearing the bases
Recently acquired LHP Chris Capuano will start today for the Yankees against Toronto. RHP Shane Greene was pushed back to start Sunday. … The Mets say RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka will have his right elbow examined.