Minor Moves: Putknonen, Orioles

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league…

• The Tigers announced yesterday that right-hander Luke Putkonen has been outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. The 28-year-old appeared in just two games for the Tigers in 2014 and allowed an alarming eight runs in 2 2/3 innings. However, he logged 45 2/3 quality innings over the course of the two prior seasons, notching a tidy 3.35 ERA (3.66 FIP) with 7.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9. His 2014 struggles were likely injury related, as he went on the DL in mid-April due to right elbow inflammation that eventually resulted in surgery to remove bone chips in June. He was designated for assignment last week to clear roster space for left-hander Tom Gorzelanny.
• The Orioles have inked a pair of independent league players to minor league deals, tweets Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore: first baseman Casey Haerther and outfielder Jake Luce. The 27-year-old Haerther, a fifth-rounder with the Angels in 2009, has spent the past two seasons playing with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association and batted an impressive .360/.390/.535 with 13 homers and 29 doubles in 418 plate appearances in 2014. Luce, 25, has never been in affiliated ball to this point. After struggling in his first year of indy ball, he split the 2014 season between the United Baseball League’s Brownsville Charros and the American Association’s Wichita Wingnuts (partly owned by former Tigers hurler Nate Robertson), batting a combined .313/.372/.453 with seven homers and 22 steals in 341 PAs.