Updated

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Seattle Mariners cut veteran outfielder Eric Byrnes and sent utility player Matt Tuiasosopo to the minors in a shakeup of their bench as they try to find the right formula in the tight AL West race.

Byrnes and Tuiasosopo were sent packing and replaced by Triple-A Tacoma infielder Josh Wilson and outfielder Ryan Langerhans after Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Texas Rangers, Major League Baseball's website (www.mlb.com) said.

The Mariners (11-14) stand last in the four-team AL West but trail the first-place Rangers (13-12) by just two games.

Byrnes, 34, signed in the offseason as a back-up outfielder, had only three hits in 32 at-bats this season for a .094 batting average.

(Writing by Larry Fine, editing by Alison Wildey)