Luetge sent down to make room for Beavan

As expected, Texas native Blake Beavan gets his first start of the MLB season Tuesday in Arlington when the Mariners play the second of four games against the Rangers. The corresponding roster move was made Wednesday when lefty reliever Lucas Luetge was sent down to AAA Tacoma.

Beavan, 25, had a good start in two two appearances in Tacoma — 13 innings and a 2.08 ERA — and has a three-year MLB record of 16-19 with a 4.61 ERA in 53 games, all with the Mariners. At the Rangers’ park, he is 1-2 with a 4.37 ERA.

Beavan is 16-19 with a 4.61 ERA in 53 appearances with the Mariners (43 starts) from 2011-2013. Last season in Seattle, he had two starts and pitched mostly in relief over 39.2 innings (0-2, 6.13 ERA) before being sent down.

Luetge, 27 made two appearances (18.00 ERA) after being recalled from AAA Tacoma April 9.

Notes

The Mariners rank second in the American League with a 2.64 ERA. Oakland is first with 2.08. The bullpen has the lowest ERA in the AL (2.43) and the starters are third with a 2.75 ERA . . . The winner of Monday’s game, rookie Roenis Elias, is the third pitcher in club history with at least five innings pitched and two runs or fewer in each of his first three major league starts starts. . . . Elias joins Felix Hernandez, who recorded four such starts to open his career in 2005, and Bob Stoddard (3) in 1981. The 2.16 ERA is the third-lowest among the first three starts for any Mariners pitcher over the last 10 seasons, trailing only Felix (0.86 in 2005) and James Paxton (2.12 in 2013), according to Elias Sports Bureau.