Mariners place Ray on 15-day IL with flexor strain

The Seattle Mariners announced Saturday that they placed left-hander Robbie Ray on the 15-day injured list with a left flexor strain.

Ray made his season debut Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians, allowing five runs and five walks while throwing 91 pitches across 3 1/3 innings.

The hurler will be shut down for two weeks, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The Mariners will then re-evaluate Ray to determine if he can resume throwing.

Seattle recalled left-hander Gabe Speier from Triple-A in a corresponding roster move.

Ray joined the Mariners before the 2022 season on a five-year, $115-million contract. The 31-year-old posted a 12-12 record with a 3.71 ERA and 212 strikeouts over 189 innings (32 starts) last year.

The Mariners could turn to right-hander Chris Flexen to fill Ray's spot in the rotation. Flexen made 53 starts for Seattle over the last two seasons, registering a 22-15 record with a 3.66 ERA and 6.24 K/9 in 317 1/3 innings.