Injury Notes: Eflin, Kirk, Cleavinger, Falter
Orioles righty Zach Eflin didn’t travel with the team to Pittsburgh. He’s on the 15-day injured list due to an elbow issue, and manager Craig Albernaz told reporters prior to today’s series opener against the Pirates that Eflin is headed for a second opinion with orthopedic surgeon Keith Meister (via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). Eflin exited his first start of the season in the fourth inning due to elbow discomfort. The O’s sent him for imaging and placed him on the 15-day injured list the following day. Albernaz did not disclose the findings of the original MRI.
It’s an ominous scenario for the Orioles and for Eflin, who returned to Baltimore on a one-year, $10MM deal after undergoing back surgery in August. The 31-year-old righty (32 next week) wound up making it back from that surgery in time for Opening Day but now has a separate injury issue threatening his ability to contribute. Eflin was terrific with the Rays and O’s from 2023-24, pitching to a combined 3.54 ERA in 343 innings across the first two seasons of a three-year, $40MM deal originally signed with Tampa Bay. He was rocked for a 5.93 ERA in 14 starts last season while trying to pitch through lat and back injuries.
A few more injury situations of particular note from around the league…
- The Blue Jays are awaiting x-ray results on catcher Alejandro Kirk, writes Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The Toronto backstop left today’s loss to the White Sox in the bottom of the tenth with a left thumb injury. An Austin Hays foul tip struck Kirk awkwardly in his glove hand, and he left the game with trainers. Tyler Heineman came off the bench to finish the game (and showed some rust on a throwing error that allowed the tying run to score with two outs). Brandon Valenzuela is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Skipper John Schneider indicated he’d get his first major league call if Kirk misses time.
- Rays lefty Garrett Cleavinger landed on the 15-day injured list this morning due to tightness in his right calf, per the team. Right-hander Hunter Bigge was recalled from Triple-A Durham in his place. It certainly doesn’t sound like a serious injury, but any absence for Cleavinger is notable for Tampa Bay. Though he’s not a household name, the 31-year-old southpaw pitched to a 3.04 earned run average with a 30% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate in 133 1/3 innings from 2023-25. He’s emerged as a key late-inning arm for skipper Kevin Cash, totaling six saves and 36 holds over the past two seasons.
- The Royals are also down a lefty reliever, as they placed swingman Bailey Falter on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation. Luinder Avila is up from Triple-A and will start the first game of tomorrow’s doubleheader against Milwaukee. (Avila would have started tonight before the series opener was scrapped by weather.) Anne Rogers of MLB.com relays that Falter received an injection to treat valgus extension overload and will be shut down from throwing for a few days. The southpaw missed the final five weeks last season with biceps inflammation and has been tagged for five runs over 3 1/3 innings during his first two appearances.
MLBTR Podcast: Lots Of Extensions And Big-Picture Topics
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams and Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Mariners signing an extension with Colt Emerson (1:20)
- The Brewers agreeing to an extension with Cooper Pratt (19:05)
- The Orioles signing an extension with Shane Baz (28:40)
- The Cubs signing extensions with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner (38:00)
- Free agents coming from Japan getting less than expected this offseason (53:35)
- The Tarik Skubal arbitration decision potentially being a paradigm shift (59:15)
- The economics of the game with the collective bargaining agreement expiring in less than a year (1:05:50)
- Did the short-term deals for Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette signal a new trend? (1:22:45)
- Dealing with high-spending clubs with draft pick penalties instead of financial penalties (1:31:00)
- Can the Brewers continue to win after trading away some valuable guys? (1:38:10)
- The exciting crop of 2026 rookies (1:41:15)
- Can the Pirates push into contention in a crowded NL Central? (1:43:40)
- The excitement around the introduction of the ABS system (1:44:50)
Check out our past episodes!
- The PCA and Sanchez Extensions, And Prospect Promotions And Reassignments – listen here
- Banged-Up Reds And Braves, Kevin McGonigle, And Spring Breakouts – listen here
- Jesús Luzardo’s Extension, Atlanta’s Depth, And Zack Littell – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Orioles Transfer Jordan Westburg To 60-Day IL
The Orioles announced this morning that infielder Jordan Westburg has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. That opens a spot on the 40-man roster for righty Albert Suarez, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Norfolk — a move first reported to be in the works last night. Right-hander Zach Eflin heads to the 15-day IL, as expected. He and the O’s are awaiting MRI results to determine the source of Eflin’s elbow discomfort.
Westburg himself is dealing with a severe elbow issue. Baltimore’s third baseman experienced elbow discomfort early in spring training and was found to have a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection and is attempting to rehab the injury without surgery. The Orioles had previously indicated that Westburg would miss all of April, but the move to the 60-day IL pushes his earliest possible return date out to May 21. (Westburg’s original IL placement on March 25 was backdated the maximum three days to March 22.)
Today’s move to the 60-day IL doesn’t necessarily represent a setback, nor does it indicate that surgery is any likelier now than it was at the time of Westburg’s original diagnosis back in February. To the contrary, manager Craig Albernaz tells the O’s beat that Westburg is continuing his rehab progression and has been cleared to swing a bat and begin playing catch (via Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun). That’s a fairly encouraging update, though Westburg obviously isn’t out of the woods entirely.
The injury to Westburg has opened the door for former top prospect Coby Mayo to get a legitimate look at his original position. Westburg’s presence in the infield had previously pushed Mayo across the diamond to first base, and that spot was filled over the winter when Baltimore signed Pete Alonso to a five-year deal. Entering camp, it wasn’t clear that Mayo would have a path to regular at-bats — at least not until news of Westburg’s elbow dropped.
Mayo had a big spring showing but has started slowly, going 2-for-13 in four games — all at third base. Utilityman Blaze Alexander has also logged one game at the hot corner. They’ll continue as the primary options at third base. It’s conceivable that Alexander could leapfrog Mayo for playing time there if Mayo struggles once Jackson Holliday returns from the IL and bumps Alexander out of the mix for playing time at second base. For now, the O’s are hoping that Mayo can make good on his productive Triple-A track record and tap into the form he showed this spring (.378/.405/.622 in 42 plate appearances).
Orioles To Select Albert Suárez
The Orioles will select swingman Albert Suárez onto the big league roster, reports Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. Manager Craig Albernaz confirmed this evening that the O’s expect Zach Eflin to land on the injured list after he left tonight’s start with elbow discomfort.
Suárez will need to be added to the 40-man roster. That’s at capacity, so they’ll either designate someone for assignment or place an injured player on the 60-day injured list. Jordan Westburg is a borderline 60-day IL candidate. Eflin could be as well depending on the results of tomorrow’s MRI. Otherwise, recent DFA trade pickups Johnathan Rodríguez and Jayvien Sandridge probably occupy the final two spots on the 40-man roster.
Dean Kremer seems likely to step into the open rotation spot. Baltimore can operate with a four-man rotation in the interim. Trevor Rogers goes tomorrow opposite Nathan Eovaldi as they look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Rangers. The O’s are off on Thursday before heading to Pittsburgh for a weekend series. They’ll need to replace Eflin in the rotation by next week’s series against the White Sox.
Suárez adds a multi-inning arm to Albernaz’s bullpen. The O’s used three relievers — Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia for multiple innings — after Chris Bassitt was knocked out by the fifth inning on Monday. Grant Wolfram, Yennier Cano, Yaramil Hiraldo and Anthony Nunez all pitched tonight due to Eflin’s fourth-inning injury. Closer Ryan Helsley is their only reliever who hasn’t been called upon yet in the series.
The 36-year-old Suárez will be appearing in his third straight season with the Orioles. He was a nice find out of the KBO and turned in a 3.70 ERA across 133 2/3 innings two years ago. Shoulder and elbow injuries limited him to five appearances and 11 2/3 frames last season.
That cost him his 40-man roster spot at season’s end, but the O’s brought him back on a minor league deal. Suárez had a tough spring, allowing 10 runs (nine earned) with nine strikeouts and five walks through 10 2/3 innings. He began the season with Triple-A Norfolk but hasn’t made an appearance through their first four games.
Zach Eflin Going For MRI With Elbow Discomfort
8:36pm: Manager Craig Albernaz confirmed the O’s anticipate placing Eflin on the 15-day injured list (via Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner). The team will know more after he goes for imaging tomorrow. Baltimore is off Thursday and could operate with an extra reliever for a few games. They’ll presumably recall Kremer to step into the rotation by the middle of next week.
8:31pm: Orioles righty Zach Eflin left his season debut tonight in the fourth inning after a visit from the trainers. The team announced the issue as elbow discomfort and will surely have more details over the next few days.
The injury seemingly occurred on a 76 mph curveball to Texas third baseman Ezequiel Duran. Eflin had pitched well before the injury, striking out seven while allowing one run across 3 2/3 frames. His velocity was fine throughout the appearance and there was no indication the veteran righty was struggling physically until his last pitch. Baltimore’s bullpen would give up seven runs over the final 4 1/3 innings and take an 8-5 loss.
Eflin has unfortunately battled a number of injuries throughout his career. Knee issues were the main concern during his early days with the Phillies. Over the past couple seasons, he had been bothered more frequently by back and arm issues. Eflin had brief injured list stints related to his lower back in both 2023 and ’24. He had three trips to the IL last year, a season in which he was limited to 14 starts.
The 31-year-old suffered a lat strain in April, knocking him out for a month. The back flared up not long after he returned. A second back injury resulted in a lumbar microdiscectomy that ended his season. Eflin returned to the O’s on a one-year, $10MM free agent deal midway through the rehab. That went without issue, but his return for the start of the season is clouded by possible concern about the elbow.
If Eflin hits the injured list, the O’s would presumably turn to Dean Kremer to round out the rotation. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A to begin the season. It was a numbers game more than anything, as they would have needed to go to a six-man rotation if they didn’t want to use Kremer out of the bullpen. He’s a perfectly capable fifth starter who’d slot behind Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt.
Injury Notes: Murphy, Kittredge, Lodolo, Canning, Pushard
Braves catcher Sean Murphy will be with High-A Rome tomorrow, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com. It’s not yet determined if he will begin a rehab assignment or simply take live batting practice. Either way, Bowman suggests that Murphy could be trending towards a return before the month of May. Rehab assignments for position players can last as long as 20 days.
Murphy has been hobbled by injuries the past two years and slashed .197/.293/.384 since the start of 2024. That was a notable drop from the .240/.336/.441 line he had in his career at the end of the 2023 season. Ideally, his return from September hip surgery will get him back on that previous track. Murphy was expected back at some point in May but this latest update suggests he could beat that target.
When he gets back, it could impact other players on the roster. Jonah Heim is currently backing up Drake Baldwin. It’s expected that the club will use the designated hitter spot to give regular at-bats to both Murphy and Baldwin. Perhaps they could cut Heim from the roster or keep him as a third catcher. Dominic Smith is getting time in the DH spot for now and he has performed well, though in a small sample size of two games.
Some more injury notes from around the league…
- Orioles right-hander Andrew Kittredge is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk tomorrow, per Jake Rill of MLB.com. He missed most of spring training due to shoulder inflammation and started the season on the IL. He posted a 3.40 earned run average last year with a 30.8% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate and 49.2% ground ball rate. Baltimore has Ryan Helsley in the closer’s role. Once Kittredge is off the IL, he’ll jump into a setup role alongside guys like Yennier Cano and Tyler Wells.
- Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo is set to make a rehab start on Thursday, per Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie’s Chalkboard. A blister sent the southpaw to the IL to start the year. Goldsmith suggests Lodolo could rejoin the club for their series in Miami next week, implying Lodolo would only need to make the one rehab start. Cincinnati is also without Hunter Greene to start the year, so it would be great to get Lodolo back sooner rather than later. The rotation is currently manned by Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Rhett Lowder, Chase Burns and Brandon Williamson.
- Padres right-hander Griffin Canning tossed three innings in a simulated game yesterday, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and will begin a rehab assignment on Saturday. Rehab assignments for pitchers can last as long as 30 days, so it seems Canning is trending towards a return in April or perhaps in early May. It was reported a few weeks ago that late April would be possible but that May or June would be more likely. Perhaps Canning is now on a path for the more optimistic end of that window.
- The Cardinals today placed right-hander Matt Pushard on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to March 30th, due to right knee patellar tendinitis. Fellow righty Gordon Graceffo was recalled as the corresponding move. It’s unclear how long Pushard is expected to be out. As a Rule 5 pick, he has to spend at least 90 days on the active roster this year or else the Rule 5 restrictions will carry over into the 2027 season.
Photo courtesy of Dale Zanine, Imagn Images
Orioles Acquire Johnathan Rodriguez From Guardians
The Orioles acquired outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez from the Guardians in exchange for minor league right-hander Carter Rustad, MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins. reports. The two teams have each officially announced the trade, and the Orioles optioned Rodriguez to Triple-A.
Rodriguez is a veteran of 44 big league games, all with the Guardians in 2024-25. A third-round pick for Cleveland in the 2017 draft, Rodriguez has been crushing minor league pitching for four years now, and he has a .301/.390/.535 slash line and 56 homers over 1083 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. In the majors, however, Rodriguez has hit only .176/.282/.304 with 36 strikeouts over his 117 PA in a Guards uniform, as his struggles with advanced spin rates have been highlighted against upper-level pitchers.
It was enough for the Guardians to designate Rodriguez for assignment in advance of Opening Day, and Baltimore stepped up with a trade offer to bring the 26-year-old outfielder into the organization. Rodriguez has a minor league option remaining, so he’ll provide the O’s with some depth at the very least, even if it remains unclear where exactly Rodriguez could fit onto their 26-man roster unless an injury arises.
Baltimore is already juggling Taylor Ward, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers, Leody Taveras, and utilitymen Jeremiah Jackson and Blaze Alexander as candidates for outfield duty. Jackson and Alexander will probably see more time on the infield with Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg still on the injured list, however, creating more need for an optionable outfielder like Rodriguez to be part of the mix at Triple-A. It could also be that the Orioles’ evaluators see Rodriguez as a project to be fixed, as his hitting potential and strong throwing arm make him an interesting player to watch if he learns how to handle movement.
Rustad is a few weeks away from his 25th birthday, and the righty was a 15th-round pick for Baltimore in the 2024 draft. The Mizzou product has worked almost exclusively as a reliever in pro ball, and he posted a 3.23 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, and 10.1% walk rate across 53 total minor league innings in 2025, moving from A-ball to high-A to Double-A before the year was out.
Orioles Acquire Jayvien Sandridge
The Orioles are acquiring left-hander Jayvien Sandridge from the Angels in exchange for cash, per an announcement from both teams. The Orioles had open space on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding move was necessary to complete the transaction. Sandridge was designated for assignment by the Halos just before Opening Day.
It’s the second cash trade of the year that Sandridge has been a part of, as the Angels acquired him from the Yankees back in January. This trade is actually something of a homecoming for Sandridge, as he was a 32nd-round pick by the Orioles back in 2018 and spent parts of two seasons in the Orioles organization. He was released during the pandemic-cancelled minor league season in 2020 and took a brief stint in college ball before signing with the Reds and returning to pro ball. He climbed the minor league ladder with the Reds, Padres, and Yankees over the years before finally making his big league debut in 2025.
Sandridge’s debut with New York saw him record just two outs while surrendering two runs. It’s not exactly an auspicious start to his big league career, although with such a small sample size it’s hard to draw any substantial conclusions about the lefty’s viability as a big league arm. His work at Triple-A with the Yankees last season was generally more middling than impressive, as he posted a 4.55 ERA despite a 33.1% strikeout rate. Those big strikeout totals clearly caught the eye of the Angels over the offseason, leading them to acquire him this offseason. Sandridge’s Spring Training performance did him few favors, however, as he was torched for five runs in just two innings of work during camp.
Now, he returns to the Orioles organization as an optionable depth arm for the club’s bullpen. Baltimore has Dietrich Enns and Grant Wolfram as their only lefties in the bullpen at the moment with Keegan Akin on the shelf, and Sandridge is now the only other lefty on the 40-man roster. That could put him in position to get a look in the majors at some point this year, particularly if he can get his elevated walk rate (12.0% in Triple-A last year) under control more reliably. Josh Walker is the only other southpaw relief arm with big league experience in the organization, but he’s on a non-roster deal and would require a 40-man roster move to bring to the majors. That could put Sandridge ahead of him on the depth chart, though lefty starter Cade Povich could also pose a threat to Sandridge’s chances of making the majors if the Orioles are willing to use him in relief at some point.
Orioles Sign Shane Baz To Extension
The Orioles announced that they have signed right-hander Shane Baz to a five-year deal covering the 2026 to 2030 seasons. The Cornerstone Baseball Group client will reportedly be paid $68MM in that span. He was previously slated to reach free agency after the 2028 season and had agreed to a $3.5MM salary for 2026. This deal adds four more guaranteed years for $64.5MM in new money. MLBTR has learned that Baz will get a $4MM signing bonus and $1MM salary in 2026, followed by salaries of $7MM, $10MM, $21MM and $25MM in the next four years.
Baltimore is evidently quite confident in their ability to get the best out of Baz, a pitcher who is clearly talented but who still comes with some question marks. Baz is a former first-rounder and top prospect but injuries had held him back to the point where he had barely 100 big league innings going into 2025. He did pitch 166 1/3 innings last year but with an uninspiring 4.87 earned run average. Despite that, the O’s surrendered a package of four prospects and a draft pick to get him a few months ago and are now making a big financial commitment to him for years to come.
The Pirates took Baz with the 12th overall pick back in 2017. Before reaching the majors, he was flipped to the Rays in the 2018 Chris Archer trade. Baz debuted with the Rays late in 2021, making three starts. In the minors that year, he posted a 2.06 earned run average while striking out 37.9% of opponents and limiting walks to a 4.4% clip.
Going into 2022, he was considered one of the top pitching prospects in the sport but he required arthroscopic elbow surgery in April of that year. He came back later that season and made a few more starts but then elbow issues popped up again. He underwent Tommy John surgery in September and missed the entire 2023 season.
He was still rehabbing at the beginning of 2024 but eventually got back on the mound and showed some promise. He made 14 starts for the Rays that year with a 3.06 ERA, though his 21.6% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate were both around average. Going into 2025, Baz was finally healthy after many years of elbow issues, which had limited him to 119 2/3 career innings. He made 31 starts and logged 166 1/3 innings in 2025. Unfortunately, the overall results weren’t good. As mentioned, Baz had a 4.87 ERA on the year.
There are some reasons for optimism under the hood. The Rays were playing in a minor league park last year due to hurricane damage to Tropicana Field. It’s possible Baz may have been impacted by that, as he had a 5.90 ERA at Steinbrenner Field but a 3.86 ERA on the road. Normally, about 12% of fly balls turn into home runs at the major league level. For Baz, that number was 18.9% at home and 11.1% on the road last year.
For the whole year, home and away, Baz struck out a solid 24.8% of batters faced. His 9% walk rate was around average. His 46.7% ground ball rate was a few ticks better than par. His 3.95 SIERA was optimistic that he deserved to have an ERA about a run better than where it actually ended up. His fastball averaged 97 miles per hour on the year while he also mixed in a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup.
The Orioles are clearly of the mind that Baz still has his best days ahead of him. Back in December, they sent prospects Slater de Brun, Caden Bodine, Michael Forret and Austin Overn to the Rays, along with a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick, to get Baz and his three remaining years of club control. Three of those four prospects were taken in the first three rounds of recent drafts. The other, Forret, was a 14th-round pick but had become arguably the best prospect in the bunch. The draft pick will be the 33rd overall pick this summer.
There are some parallels to Baltimore’s journey with Trevor Rogers. He was the National League Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021 after he posted a 2.64 ERA over 25 starts for the Marlins. Then Rogers was injured and/or struggling for many years, diminishing his stock. From the start of 2022 to the 2024 deadline, Rogers only tossed 230 1/3 innings with a 4.92 ERA. The O’s felt they could get him back on track and sent Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby to the Marlins to get Rogers when he still had two-plus years of control remaining.
It took a while for that bet on Rogers to pay off but it did. He struggled with the O’s late in 2024 and had a knee injury at the start of 2025. After that, he was brilliant. He eventually made 18 starts for Baltimore last year with a 1.81 ERA, 24.3% strikeout rate, 6.9% walk rate and 46% ground ball rate. He got the Opening Day nod yesterday against the Twins and earned a win by throwing seven shutout innings.
Like with Rogers, Baz was plucked away from his Florida club, with Baltimore sending a notable prospect package down the coast. Both pitchers had displayed talent but had gone through some injury challenges and posted some underwhelming numbers. The Rogers pick-up has worked out very well. The O’s clearly feel good about getting similar results out of Baz.
Baz is currently 26 but this will be his age-27 season, with his birthday coming up in June. He was set to hit free agency a few months after his 29th birthday. He could have been in line for a nice payday at that point if he pitched well over the next three years. But all pitchers are aware of the potential for injuries, with Baz having direct experience in that department. Rather than betting on his own health, he is cashing in on a robust deal right now.
He will therefore delay his path to free agency by two years but could still be in line for a really nice payday at that point. In recent years, position players in their early 30s have seemingly had far less earning power than their late-20s counterparts. When it comes to pitching, you can still get paid if you’re still putting up numbers. Dating back to the 2021-2022 offseason, there have been seven free agent deals with an average annual value of $25MM or more for position players 31 or older. That number is 13 for pitchers.
In terms of recent extensions for pitchers between three and four years of service time, Baz is coming in under Logan Webb‘s $90MM, which is the top of the class. That’s understandable since Webb had already been established as a frontline pitcher at that point. Cristopher Sánchez is next on the list but that was a different case since he was already locked up via a previous extension. Baz is just a bit above Cristian Javier‘s $64MM deal with the Astros and Sandy Alcantara‘s $56MM deal with the Marlins. Both of those pitchers had better career numbers than Baz does now, but the deals are also a few years old at this point, so Baz seemingly creeps beyond them with some inflation.
For the Orioles, they have been a bit more aggressive in terms of spending money lately. Mike Elias was hired to run the front office in 2018 when the club was rebuilding and owned by the Angelos family. Since then, they have become a contender and are now owned by David Rubenstein. For a long time, Elias never signed anyone to a deal worth $50MM or more. In the past eight months, the O’s signed free agent Pete Alonso $155MM, gave Samuel Basallo a $67MM extension and now this deal with Baz.
It’s now possible that Baz is the key cog in their long-term rotation. Rogers, Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin are all slated for free agency after 2026. Kyle Bradish is under club control through 2028. Dean Kremer will be slated for free agency after 2027 as long as he gets at least 60 days of service time here in 2026. As those guys depart, they could perhaps be replaced by prospects like Trey Gibson or Luis De Leon, while external additions will presumably be brought in from time to time. As the picture fluctuates, Baz will be a fixture of the group, if Baltimore can push him down the same upside path as Rogers.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that the two sides were finalizing a five-year deal worth $68MM which would override his one-year deal for 2026. Photos courtesy of Morgan Tencza, Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
Orioles Outright Jackson Kowar, Bryan Ramos
The Orioles announced this evening that reliever Jackson Kowar and infielder Bryan Ramos were outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Both players cleared waivers and will remain in the organization without holding a spot on the 40-man roster.
Kowar and Ramos were designated for assignment yesterday when Baltimore set their Opening Day roster. Waivers are a 48-hour process, so the O’s evidently began that before officially announcing the DFA. Both players are out of minor league options. They needed to hold an MLB spot or be dropped from the 40-man.
The Orioles added Ramos and Kowar late in the offseason. They acquired the former from the White Sox for cash, briefly lost him on waivers to the Cardinals, then claimed him back. The latter came over from the Twins in a cash trade at the beginning of Spring Training.
Ramos had a solid camp, batting .316 with a home run in 15 games. The righty-hitting corner infielder hasn’t hit much over 36 regular season contests, nor is he coming off a good year in the minors. Ramos batted .216/.309/.396 across 431 plate appearances with the White Sox’s top affiliate last year. The O’s opted for a more versatile defender, Jeremiah Jackson, as their final bench player to open the season.
Kowar, 29, has draft pedigree as a former supplemental first-round pick. He throws hard but hasn’t found much success at the big league level. The University of Florida product has allowed more than eight earned runs per nine with worse than average strikeout (20.3%) and walk (13.1%) rates over 91 MLB innings. Kowar had four walks and strikeouts apiece over six innings this spring. Yaramil Hiraldo and rookie Anthony Nunez secured Opening Day middle relief jobs, pushing Kowar off the roster.