UPDATE: Mariners Suspend Clevenger Without Pay for Rest of Season

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners suspended reserve catcher Steve Clevenger for the rest of the season without pay Friday in the wake of his tweets regarding a recent police shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

General manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement that as soon as the club became aware of the tweets posted by Clevenger "we began to examine all of our options in regard to his standing on the team."

Dipoto said Clevenger was informed of the suspension on Friday.

Clevenger's Twitter account was changed to private Thursday night. Screen shots of the tweets showed Clevenger made disparaging comments about protesters and President Barack Obama, saying "everyone involved should be locked behind bars like animals!"