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Altavilla was identified by manager Scott Servais as a candidate for some closing opportunities with Yoshihisa Hirano (undisclosed) now on the injured list, although the Mariners skipper noted Wednesday he plans to utilize more than one pitcher in the ninth-inning role, Greg Johns of MLB.com reports.
Altavilla had a rough Cactus League showing with a 7.20 ERA over five appearances, but he was still thought to have job security before expanded rosters had even been announced. The right-hander's high-90s fastball and strikeout rates north of 25.0 percent for each of the last three seasons are strong indicators he could thrive in high-leverage situations, and depending on the length of Hirano's absence, Altavilla could get some opportunities to improve his unsightly 0-for-8 tally in save chances over the first four seasons of his career.
