Mariners DFA Rowdy Tellez to make room for Luke Raley’s return

CHICAGO — Luke Raley is back with the Mariners at the expense of Rowdy Tellez.

The M’s activated Raley from the injured list on Friday morning before their series-opening 9-4 win against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field with Tellez getting designated for assignment to open a spot on the roster.

Tellez batted .208 with 11 homers, 27 RBI, six doubles and a .682 OPS in 62 games this season. He hit home runs in three straight games in an April series at Toronto, including a grand slam to key an 8-4 victory in 12 innings.

The Mariners decided to keep outfielder Dominic Canzone and go with a platoon of Raley and Donovan Solano at first base for the time being.

Raley is more comfortable in the outfield, but appeared in five games earlier this season at first base and 41 last season and also played two of his five games in his rehab assignment in Tacoma at first.

“It’s always tough when you lose a guy and you know obviously what Rowdy did for us, we really appreciate what he has meant to our group here at the beginning of the season and you know just what he meant in the clubhouse, on the field, the energy with which he played,” manager Dan Wilson said. “He was a great member of the family and it’s tough to lose him. But getting Raley back is great and great to see him back and the rehab went very well and he’s back and ready to roll.”

Teammates said they were sad to see Tellez go.

“Tough business,” catcher Cal Raleigh said after hitting two home runs to power the Mariners to the win. “I thought he played well for us. That’s how it goes sometimes, unfortunately.”

Tellez signed a minor-league contract during spring training that was worth $1.5 million for the season if he made the major-league roster. He earned his way onto the roster out of camp, but the bat ended up being too sporadic and Tellez couldn’t match Raley’s versatility to play first base and the outfield. Tellez had been playing through discomfort in his wrist and hand of late.

“Luke is a versatile player,’’ Wilson said of Raley, who hit 22 home runs with a .243 average and an OPS of .783 in 137 games last season for the Mariners. “With Rales coming back it’s a way to get Luke on the field a lot and get him back playing and so that’s what was a big part of the decision.”

It also was a vote of confidence in what Canzone has shown since being recalled from the minors early last week. While it’s a small sample, Canzone has hits in six of nine games since rejoining the club and an OPS of .778 during that span, highlighted by a two-run home run in the ninth inning that sent a game at Arizona last week into extra innings.

The 27-year-old Canzone hit well in Tacoma with a .925 OPS in 45 games and 197 plate appearances.

“These are never easy decisions,’’ Wilson said. “You weigh a lot of different things. But I think Dom has swung the bat well in his time and has made some changes and so I think that was a factor for sure. But these are tough ones.”

Because of his accrued service time, the 30-year-old Tellez can reject being assigned to Tacoma and elect to become a free agent if he clears waivers or isn’t traded by the Mariners.

Raley was not in the lineup for Friday’s game against Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd, a former Mariner, with Solano getting the call.

But Raley entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter for Dylan Moore to face Cubs right-handed reliever Ryan Pressly and immediately clubbed a double to right-center.

He played the rest of the game in right field, making a diving catch of a liner off the bat of Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw in the seventh.

“Welcome back,” Wilson said with a smile after the game. “… He got tested today and the ball will find you, as they say. But really nice job for Luke and a chance to get back in there and it’s good to see that.”

While Raley wasn’t in the starting lineup Friday against a left-hander, Wilson said the Mariners won’t hesitate to use Raley against lefties.

“Yeah I mean that’s something that keeps him on the field and I think Luke has done a good job against lefties and puts up a real good at-bat,” Wilson said. “Obviously we’ll see how (it goes) as we progress and in the beginning here we have to make sure we let him get a little bit of a runway as he gets back. He is at 100% but getting his legs and the rest of his body back to where you are comfortable every day and that’s going to take a little bit of time and that’s kind of what we are focused on at this point.”

Raley was in the clubhouse before Friday’s game, where a locker set up for Tellez stood nearby.

“I mean it stinks to have to watch on TV and stuff like that,” he said. “It’s just not as fun. You want to be with your team and your guys. It’s tough to just sit there and watch at home.”

Raley said he felt good after his Tacoma stint and was ready for whatever the team asks. He appears likely to be in the lineup Saturday when the Cubs are scheduled to go with right-hander Cade Horton.

“Yeah I feel like my swing is good,” he said. “Obviously the pitching (at the minor-league level) is a little bit different, but I think that my timing is pretty good and I was able to kind of jump right back into things.”