Mariners' thin catching situation gets thinner

The Mariners’ catching situation took another blow on Tuesday as Austin Nola was scratched from the lineup about 90 minutes before the series opener against the Angels due to a sore knee. Rookie Joseph Odom was activated off the three-man traveling taxi squad and made his first Major League start in a 10-2 loss at Angel Stadium.

Seattle already lost starting catcher Tom Murphy to a broken bone in his left foot that landed him on the 10-day injured list to open the season. Nola started three of the four games in Houston, with backup Joe Hudson playing the other game.

Nola banged his knee sliding into second base on a wild pitch in the second inning of Monday’s 8-5 loss in Houston, but remained in the game.

“He had some swelling and discomfort today,” manager Scott Servais said. “We’ll get it looked at tomorrow and have some tests on it.”

Odom went 0-for-2 with a walk in his debut and will likely be in the lineup again Wednesday as he has extensive history working with starter Justin Dunn last year in Double-A Arkansas, as he did with Tuesday starter Justus Sheffield.

Odom didn’t get added to the 60-player pool until the day before the regular-season opener when Murphy went on the IL, but he was immediately installed as part of the taxi squad since the other two catchers in the 60-man pool are young prospects Cal Raleigh and Brian O’Keefe.

“It all happened pretty quick,” Odom said. “But that’s kind of the name of the game. I was super excited, and it was good to do it with a guy like Sheff, who I’m familiar with.”

Hudson also has very limited experience as he wasn’t cleared to join Summer Camp until the final week and has appeared in just 10 MLB games with the Angels, Cardinals and now Mariners over the past three seasons.

Odom is regarded as an excellent defensive catcher and split last season between Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma, hitting a combined .235 with six homers and 34 RBIs in 345 at-bats while earning Midseason Texas League All-Star honors with the Travelers.

Odom takes the 30-man roster spot of lefty reliever Taylor Guilbeau, who was activated off the taxi squad on Monday and pitched an inning in that night’s 8-5 loss to the Astros. Guilbeau goes back on the taxi squad and will remain with the team through the final three games of the road trip in Anaheim.