SEATTLE -- The Mariners called up top prospect Jonatan Clase on Monday, looking to help spark an offense that has underperformed in the first 2½ weeks of the season. And it worked.
Clase was in the lineup, hit eighth and played left field in Monday's 9-3 win against the Cincinnati Reds. In his first MLB game after being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners' No. 10 prospect recorded his first MLB hit and RBI in the sixth inning with a single to left. He nearly had his first big league hit in the fourth but was robbed by Elly De La Cruz, who made a fantastic sliding catch in shallow left field.
Before the game, Clase said it was surreal walking up to a locker waiting for him in the Seattle clubhouse, adding, "That was crazy to see my name."
Clase, a 21-year-old switch-hitting outfielder, was hitting .311 with four doubles, two triples and two homers in 12 Triple-A games to begin his campaign. He spent last season split between Single-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas. He appeared in 15 spring training games with the Mariners, who so far are batting .204 in the regular season and have a .590 OPS.
"He's an interesting player," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "He has a great tool set. He can really run. He's a switch-hitter. He's really worked to get his body in the shape he's gotten in."
Clase took the roster spot of outfielder Dominic Canzone, who landed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder suffered after crashing into the outfield wall while making a catch in Sunday's loss to the visiting Chicago Cubs. There's no timeline on his recovery, Servais said Monday, but Canzone will be out for at least a few weeks.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.