TAMPA BAY, FL (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Tampa Bay Rays announced Wednesday that Austin Shenton will join the Opening Day roster to start the 2024 season.

The Bellingham High School graduate has played in the minor leagues since 2019. Shenton was a fifth-round pick in the 2019 MLB draft, originally playing for minor league affiliates for the Seattle Mariners before being traded in 2021 to the Tampa Bay Rays.

In the days leading up to opening day, Shenton told MLB.com that he had no clue if he was going to make it on the Opening Day roster. Shenton joins the 40-man roster and will be on the infield bench on Thursday in Tampa Bay as the Rays take on the Toronto Blue Jays.

Shenton graduated from Bellingham High School in 2016, played college baseball at Bellevue College and also played for the Bellingham Bells in 2016 and 2017.