Clarke was returned to the Cubs on Saturday after failing to make Seattle's Opening Day roster, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Clarke was selected by the Mariners in December's Rule 5 Draft, and the right-hander struggled with a 5.40 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over 6.2 innings in the Cactus League. He returns to the Chicago organization, where he'll likely be a bullpen option for Triple-A Iowa during the 2023 campaign.
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Mariners' Chris Clarke: Mixed bag this spring
Rotowire
Clarke owns a 6.35 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and a 4:2 K:BB across 5.2 innings over six Cactus League appearances.
The Rule 5 Draft selection has interspersed three scoreless one-inning efforts with a trio of rockier outings where he's yielded four earned runs on seven hits and two walks across 2.2 frames. Clarke didn't pitch above the Double-A level during his time with the Cubs organization and turned in mixed results there as well (7-5, 4.93 ERA, 1.51 WHIP), and it's possible his uneven spring prevents him from making the Opening Day roster and consequently sends him back that way.
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Mariners' Chris Clarke: Heading to Seattle
Rotowire
Clarke was selected by the Mariners during the Rule 5 draft Wednesday.
The 24-year-old drafted in the fourth round by the Cubs in 2019, but the club didn't add him to the 40-man roster, and he'll now move on to the Mariners. Clarke spent most of 2022 at the Double-A level and had a 4.93 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 87:20 K:BB over 96.2 innings.
