By Brian Argabright
Del Rio’s Jack Mayfield is on the move again.
For the third time this season, Mayfield has a new home in the major leagues as he claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners. Mayfield was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels Saturday. Prior to that he was acquired by the Angels from the Atlanta Braves for cash.
According to Ryan Davish of the Seattle Times, Mayfield is projected to report to Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers, as they begin play May 6.
“We saw him a little bit,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said in Davish’s story. “He’s been with Houston the last couple years and he was with Anaheim this year. So we’ve seen the player a little bit … That’s something that’s from our scouting department, our analytical group and certainly front office. They’re making the calls on that and trying to make sure that we get as many quality players and just create depth throughout the organization.”
Mayfield’s acquisition by the Mariners gives the M’s some depth in the infield. Shed Long Jr., who was a starter in the infield for Seattle last season before giving way due to injury, was placed on the 60-day injured list.
Mayfield’s stay with the Angels wasn’t a lengthy one. He was acquired Feb. 25 and appeared in 13 Spring Training games with the Halos, batting .250 in 16 at-bats. When third baseman Anthony Rendon went to the injured list due to a strained groin, Mayfield was recalled to the major league roster. He appeared in two games with the Angels, starting one of them and going 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts.
Mayfield began his professional career with the Houston Astros, signing as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He toiled through the Astros’ organization before making his major league debut on Memorial Day in 2019. He smacked a double off the left field well at Minute Maid Park in his first at-bat as an Astro.
Mayfield would appear in 47 games for the Astros in 2019 and 2020, amassing 18 hits including two home runs. In 2019, Mayfield became the first Astros rookie to hit three doubles in one game in 42 years. He became the third rookie to achieve the feat for Houston.
Mayfield is a 2009 graduate of Del Rio High School. He played four years for the Rams baseball team, earning all-district honors each season including three first team all-district selections. He signed with the University of Oklahoma and played four years with the Sooners, earning all-conference honors and pitched in the College World Series as a freshman.
