Mariners lose pitcher Zach Lee to Padres in waiver claim

Right-handed pitcher Zach Lee’s brief, disappointing tenure in the Mariners’ organization ended Tuesday when he was claimed on waivers by San Diego.

Lee, 25, was designated for assignment Dec. 3 in move to clear space on the Mariners’ 40-man roster after the club signed free-agent relievers Marc Rzepczynski and Casey Fein.

The Mariners acquired Lee from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a June 19 trade for infielder Chris Taylor.

Lee then went 0-9 with a 7.39 ERA in 14 starts at Triple-A Tacoma. Prior to the deal, he was 7-5 with a 4.89 ERA in 13 starts at Triple-A Albuquerque. Lee is 52-55 with a 4.29 ERA in 153 minor-league games over six pro seasons.

The Dodgers selected Lee in the first round of the 2010 draft. His only big-league appearance came in 2015, when he gave up seven runs and 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings in a 15-2 loss to the Mets in New York.

The Mariners also designated lefty reliever Dean Kiekhefer for assignment on Dec. 3. Kiekhefer, 27, cleared waivers on Dec. 9 and was assigned outright to Tacoma.

Bob Dutton: @TNT_Mariners

This story was originally published December 13, 2016 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Mariners lose pitcher Zach Lee to Padres in waiver claim."