M's Notes: O'Flaherty dials in, Dobbs sent to Tacoma

OAKLAND, Calif. — Eric O'Flaherty kept the phone calls to a minimum on Tuesday when he was summoned from Tacoma to join the Mariners.

He knew it wasn't certain he would be promoted to Seattle's major-league roster so the only people he called were his mom and his grandfather, who lives in Bellevue and gave O'Flaherty a ride to the airport.

"I tried not to tell anyone else because I didn't want a big deal made out of it if I was coming back to Tacoma the next day," O'Flaherty said.

The phone calls flowed freely Wednesday when O'Flaherty joined the Mariners' 25-man roster, replacing Greg Dobbs, who was optioned to Tacoma. The move leaves Seattle with 13 pitchers so another roster move will likely occur in the next few days.

O'Flaherty, 21, is a left-handed pitcher, who attended Walla Walla High School. The velocity of his fastball is 90-94 mph, and he said a real breakthrough came last year in the second half of the season.

"I started throwing more of a slider/cutter type of pitch instead of a loopy, slurvy curveball that just wasn't getting it done," O'Flaherty said.

He began this season in Class A Inland Empire, moved to Class AA San Antonio, where he was a closer before coming to Tacoma in August. That was more progress than he expected when the season began.

"If you told me in the spring I would finish in Tacoma, I wouldn't have believed you," he said.

O'Flaherty had pitched twice for the Rainiers. The team was coming off a series in Portland when O'Flaherty was called on Tuesday morning and told to fly down to Oakland. That came with the caveat that he would be activated only if Rafael Soriano went on the disabled list.

When the Mariners decided to keep Soriano active, O'Flaherty had no spot on the roster. He couldn't be on the bench so he watched Tuesday's game from the clubhouse, though he did keep a uniform on.

"Just to feel like I was part of it," he said.

After the game, O'Flaherty brought all his clothes and luggage from the clubhouse to the team hotel because he expected to be flying home on Wednesday morning.

"It was the most confusing day I've had in a long time," O'Flaherty said.

All of it brightened with a phone call on Wednesday morning saying he would be staying with the Mariners. He watched the beginning of Wednesday's game in uniform again, only this time he was in the bullpen instead of the clubhouse.

Sexson to return

Manager Mike Hargrove said Richie Sexson is expected to be rejoin the team today in Anaheim, where the Mariners will begin a four-game series against the Angels.

Sexson returned to Washington on Monday after his wife, Kerry, underwent an emergency Cesarean section to deliver their twin boy and girl. Sexson is eligible to resume playing today after he was placed on a list for players who experience a death or medical emergency in their family. Mike Morse replaced Sexson on the Mariners' roster, and he or another player must go to the minor leagues once Sexson returns.

Notes

• Adrian Beltre's first-inning single extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

• CF Jeremy Reed has begun swinging a bat in his recovery from a broken right thumb. Reed had nine pins and a plate put in his hand during surgery. He is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list in early September.