Mariners designate Danny Hultzen for assignment

According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, the Mariners have DFA'd Danny Hultzen.

Danny Hultzen has been DFA'd

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) November 20, 2015

Hultzen was out of minor league options. With his injury issues, it's likely he'll clear waivers and can be outrighed to the minors.

— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) November 20, 2015

With the Rule-5 Draft coming up, the Mariners needed all the room they could get on their 40-man roster to protect other prospects, and while Hultzen is a former first round pick, his career hasn't progressed the way Seattle had hoped it would.

He was drafted in 2011 as the 2nd overall pick, ahead of players like Trevor Bauer, Anthony Rendon, Francisco Lindor, George Springer, Jose Fernandez, and Sonny Gray, to name a few.

While his talent undoubtedly warranted a high selection, shoulder injuries have prevented him from reaching the major leagues. In his first full professional season (2012), Hultzen threw 124 innings between AA and AAA, but has only been able to muster 43.2 innings in the three years since.

Divish notes that it's likely Hultzen will clear waivers and be out-righted to the minors, however it wouldn't be entirely surprising to see a team make a claim on him. Despite the shoulder injuries, he's still only 25 years old, and has posted fantastic statistics when healthy.