Hollander didn't go into many specifics regarding where Criswell stood in his throwing progression beyond noting that he was about a week behind fellow reliever Matt Brash (lat), who had yet to resume throwing off a mound as of the July 31 update. With that in mind, Criswell looks like he's still limited to playing catch for the time being, so his return from the injured list wouldn't appear to be imminent. Criswell went on the shelf June 9 after being diagnosed with a right shoulder strain.

The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster that the Mariners needed for Miles Mastrobuoni, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Tacoma after Julio Rodriguez (concussion) was placed on the 7-day IL. Criswell was diagnosed with a Grade-1 pectoral strain in mid-June but has since been tagged with a shoulder strain. The move to the 60-day IL doesn't change his projected return for early August, though a clearer timeline won't be established until Criswell embarks on a rehab assignment.