Tampa Bay Rays to Call up Nick Franklin

May 20, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter

(6) dives back to first base in the fifth inning of the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Seattle beat Texas 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

With the Durham Bulls season now officially over, the Tampa Bay Rays will call up three players from their Triple-A affiliate, highlighted by the addition of Nick Franklin.

The 23-year-old Franklin was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the three-team David Price trade in July but has been at Durham ever since, where he had a .210/.288/.290 line with two home runs and nine RBIs in 27 games.

He did play 17 games for the Mariners earlier this season where he hit .128 and had two RBIs.

Franklin can play either shortstop or second base so it could mean less playing time for Logan Forsythe or Yunel Escobar. Ben Zobrist is the Rays starting second baseman (usually) but because of his flexibility to play anywhere his playing time won’t be affected much, if at all, by Franklin’s promotion.

The Rays also announced they were calling up pitchers Alex Colome and C.J. Riefenhauser.

Colome has made two appearances for the Rays this year. He pitched four innings of relief in Toronto in May and made a spot start on June 26 against Baltimore, that he won, after going 5.2 IP and allowing just two hits and one earned run.

Colome is one of the best pitching prospects in the Rays system so promoting him gives Joe Maddon and company a chance to take a closer look at a pitcher who could be a fixture of the team’s rotation in the coming years.

Riefenhauser made his major league debut earlier this season pitching in two games but gave up three earned runs in two innings of work.