Mariners name Auburn Riverside grad Michael Rucker non-roster invitee

Published 11:30 am Monday, February 2, 2026

The Seattle Mariners announced Jan. 30 that Auburn Riverside High School alum Michael Rucker would be invited to spring training as a non-roster invite.

Rucker, a pitcher, did not play in the 2025 season after electing free agency from the Washington Nationals organization on Nov. 4, 2024.

Rucker graduated from Auburn Riverside in 2013 and played his college baseball at Gonzaga in Spokane initially before transferring to Brigham Young University in Utah. Rucker was drafted in 2016 by the Chicago Cubs and made his big league debut in 2021.

Since making his debut, the right-hander has pitched in 96 games across three seasons for the Cubs and has a career ERA of 4.96. Rucker made 35 appearances for the Cubs in his last season in the major leagues back in 2023. Rucker threw a total of 40.1 innings for the North-siders, striking out 40 during his stint in 2023. He signed as a free agent with the Mariners on Jan. 8 to a minor league contract.

In the past two seasons, Rucker hasn’t made it back to the big league level. He was designated for assignment by the Cubs back on Feb. 1, 2024, and was then traded to the Philadelphia Phillies for cash on Feb. 6, 2024.

The 31-year old played for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Phillies, and was designated for assignment by Philadelphia on Sept. 4, 2024. He was picked up by the Nationals on Sept. 6, 2024 and sent to Triple-A Rochester, where he tossed 4.2 innings over four games with the Red Wings.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training on Feb. 12.