MLB

Mariner abruptly retires to help people with eating disorders

Mariners catcher Mike Marjama informed the team Friday that he is retiring from baseball to take a position with the National Eating Disorders Association.

Marjama, 28, was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma on April 20 after making the team’s Opening Day roster. He appeared in 10 games this season, batting .111 with three doubles, two walks and six strikeouts.

Marjama battled an eating disorder at Granite Bay High School in California. He was cutting weight for wrestling, and a person who now stands 6-foot-3, 210 pounds was down to 130 pounds, according to the Sacramento Bee. Marjama required inpatient treatment, recovered and has been outspoken about the disorder since.

“When I had the eating disorder, I was stubborn. Now my eyes are open,” Marjama told the Bee last year. “A lot of high school students have a tremendous amount of pressure on them. We all want to see things out of reality, and we don’t always see things fully clear. It was a hard time, what I went through, but it changed my perspective on life. It definitely helped me grow.”