Mariners activate OF Kyle Lewis, OF Justin Upton departs

The Seattle Mariners activated outfielder Kyle Lewis from the seven-day injured list on Friday.

Outfielder Justin Upton elected free agency after being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, per the Mariners.

Lewis, 27, was placed on the injured list on May 29 after going 4-for-15 with two homers and three RBIs in four games to start the season. He had been sidelined for nearly a year with a severe knee injury.

The 2020 American League Rookie of the Year went 6-for-20 with five homers and 11 RBIs in nine rehab games split between High-A Everett and Triple-A Tacoma.

Lewis is a former Golden Spikes Award winner as the best player in college baseball before being a first-round pick (No. 11 overall) in 2016. He is batting .258 with a .799 OPS in 116 career games.

Upton, 34, batted .125 with one homer and three RBIs in 17 games with the Mariners this season. The four-time All-Star was signed by the club on May 21 after he was released by the Los Angeles Angels toward the end of spring training.

In 16 career major league seasons, Upton has recorded 1,003 RBIs while hitting 325 home runs. A .261 career hitter, Upton also has an .812 OPS in 1,845 career games with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2007-12), Atlanta Braves (2013-14), San Diego Padres (2015), Detroit Tigers (2016-17), Los Angeles Angels (2017-21) and Mariners.