Sauryn

Lao

The 25-year-old right-hander had been designated for assignment earlier in the week. He passed through waivers unclaimed and will continue to function as extra bullpen depth for the Mariners.

Lao made one appearance for the Mariners last week before being demoted, and now they need 40-man roster room for Rhylan Thomas. Lao will hit the waiver wire, and if he goes unclaimed the 25-year-old will repot back to Tacoma for organizational depth.

Lao pitched well with three strikeouts over 1 1/3 innings in his MLB debut, the Mariners need a fresh arm after he threw 37 pitches Tuesday. Lao will likely be back again with Seattle at some point.

It’s Lao’s first big-league opportunity after nearly a decade in the minors. The 25-year-old righty has allowed just two runs with seven strikeouts and only one walk over nine innings (three appearances) this season for Triple-A Tacoma. He’ll presumably operate in middle relief.

The 19-year-old Emerson went 2-for-17 with a homer and a 3/4 K/BB in big-league camp. Seattle’s top prospect, he’ll probably open up this season back at high-A Everett and finish it in Double-A. Kitchen was the one guy here with a slim chance of making the Mariners, but he gave up seven runs in four innings.

Lao opened his career as an infielder in the Dodgers system before moving to the mound in 2023. At age 24, he had a 3.74 ERA and a 54/21 K/BB between Double- and Triple-A last season. He’s by no means a top relief prospect, but he has a decent chance of seeing some major league action within the next couple of years.