The Tigers have designated right-hander Jose Ortega for assignment to create 40-man roster space for right-hander Evan Reed, the Tigers announced (on Twitter).
The 25-year-old Ortega pitched just 1 1/3 innings in the Majors this season, yielding four runs despite not allowing a hit. Ortega walked four batters and hit another in this, his third brief stint with the Tigers. Over the past three seasons, the Venezuelan hurler has totaled 15 2/3 innings with Detroit, posting a 5.74 ERA and a 15-to-11 K/BB ratio.
Ortega’s Triple-A ERA is a slightly more encouraging 4.48 in 217 career innings at that level, though he’s battled control issues in the minors as well. He’s averaged a strong 8.8 K/9 in Triple-A, but he’s also averaged 6.1 walks per nine innings.
