SEATTLE -- When Wyatt Mills learned at 2:30 p.m. PT that he was being recalled from the alternate training site, his parents in Spokane, Wash., had less than four hours to scramble across Washington state and be at T-Mobile Park for his MLB debut, one that has been a long time coming for the 2017 Draft pick and former Gonzaga Bulldog.

Yet with the clock ticking, the Mills family somehow, someway managed to catch a flight to Seattle and watch him toss a 1-2-3 eighth inning in the Mariners¡¯ 10-5 loss to the Angels.

Mills was riding the emotional high of the moment, but also the adrenaline of pitching in his home state against an opposing team in a live game for the first time since Aug. 31, 2019, for Double-A Arkansas. Because he was not invited to the alternate training site last year and the Minors season was canceled, Mills essentially sat out all of 2020.

The call revealing the club¡¯s plans for him last year from Mariners director of player development Andy McKay was, in Mills¡¯ words, a turning point in his baseball career and life off the field.

¡°I truly believe it was the best thing for me,¡± Mills said. ¡°It really pushed me to find different avenues in my game that I needed to improve, whether that was the weight room, arm care in the training room, and then mental game. And I just know that I'm an incredibly different pitcher now than I was then.¡±

Besides more motivation, what else changed?

Mills joined the club at its fall developmental league in Arizona and made an impression by flashing an increase of 4 mph on his fastball, up to 97 mph with movement. He topped out at 95 mph on Saturday and was working his two-pitch combo nicely.

¡°I know that the stuff that I provide -- sinker-slider -- and it's hard ... any team would like that,¡± Mills said. ¡°And I know that I¡¯ve got to believe in that for the rest of my career.

¡°And a lot of it is just belief in myself on the mental side of the game, being able to come out and be me consistently. And it took a lot of conversation with coaches, mental strength coaches, strength coaches, just to get me on the right track. Really, just to trust in myself and believe in it.¡±

More on his backstory: Mills was a third-round Draft pick by Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto in 2017, signing for $125,000 -- more than $45,000 under slot value -- then he went on to post impressive strikeout numbers in his first pro season and jumped all the way to Double-A. He regressed some in ¡¯19, but he was able to get back on track and finished his year in Team USA¡¯s bullpen during Olympic qualifying that fall.

According to MLB Pipeline scouting reports, Mills¡¯ low three-quarter arm slot has been described as funky. His fastball-slider combination missed bats and generated groundouts in the Minors. Like all of their pitchers, the Mariners have said that they want him to remain in ¡°attack¡± mode in 2021. Overall, the club loves his makeup.

And he¡¯ll be tasked with keeping the line moving for a bullpen that has been one of the Majors¡¯ best after the first month of the regular season.

In a corresponding roster move, catcher Jacob Nottingham was designated for assignment. Nottingham was only on the 26-man roster for one day, Friday, to account for Evan White being placed on the bereavement list. But it¡¯s clear now that the Mariners need pitching given the dearth of their starting depth.