SEATTLE, WA (WTKR)- Chesapeake native Justin Upton is heading back to the big leagues.
The Great Bridge product signed a one-year Major League contract with the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. The outfielder will join a squad that has struggled, despite high expectations in 2022.
Upton was released by the Angels on April 8. He'll start at the Mariners' extended spring training site in Peoria, Arizona, before joining the big club in the Pacific Northwest. The veteran should see time in the outfield and at designated hitter.
The top overall pick in the 2005 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the Diamondbacks, Seattle will mark Upton's sixth team. After Arizona, he saw stints with the Braves, Padres and Tigers before landing in Anaheim, winning three Silver Slugger Awards throughout his career. The 34-year old posted a .211 average for the Angles in 2021, adding 17 home runs and 41 RBI.
The Mariners entered Monday with a 17-25 record, sitting fourth in the American League West.
