The Indians have designated right-hander Dan Wheeler for assignment, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (Twitter link). No corresponding roster move has been announced by the Tribe as of yet.
Wheeler was tagged for six earned runs in an inning of work today, ballooning his ERA to 8.76 in 12 1/3 innings of work. The 34-year-old seemed to have lost the ability to miss bats this season, as he struck out only two hitters during that time. After walking just eight batters in all of 2011, he walked seven in his short Cleveland tenure and his average fastball dropped from 89.2mph to 88.3mph.
Wheeler signed a one-year, minor league deal with the Indians this offseason and has appeared for the Astros, Rays, Mets, and Red Sox in his 13-year Major League career.
Good thing he’s so close to Rhode Island right now.
Doesn’t surprise me. I always got nervous whenever he came out to pitch while he was with the Rays.
OH-EM-GEE!!! I hope the Red Sox pick him up… He will fortify the struggling bullpen… He’s a bulldog…
…and now that we got that out of the way, we can all move on with our lives.
No wonder they left him in the game for BP this afternoon…
Edit:
They should have added 1 of his 2 K’s was a rookie’s 1st ever MLB AB who has a horrendous 8 year MiLB K ratio as well.. Mauro Gomez this afternoon.
Yes.. Wheeler looked awful..
His stats are good enough for the Sox bullpen at least.
LOL. Compare to Darnell McDonald and Justin Thomas. LOL
Kidding aside.. Aces and Morales are a heap better than Wheeler (higher ERA/some other stats worse) but think both would still prefer by a LOT over Disco Danny :-)
Would like to see Wheeler at Pawtucket now, over just about all of that pile of retreads that they currently have other than Ohlendorf and the injured Carlson.
Red Sox have the best bullpen in baseball since that implosion against the yankees. their problem is the rotation.