The Orioles have placed starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo on the disabled list with right shoulder/bicep tendinitis and activated left-handed reliever Brian Matusz (back) from the DL, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). Gallardo will head to the 15-day DL, the Orioles announced.
The right-handed Gallardo left his start Friday after two innings because of shoulder discomfort, and he said afterward that the issue began while he was warming up in the bullpen before the game.
“My shoulder just didn’t feel right. To be honest, it was one of those feelings that I’ve never had my whole career,” Gallardo stated (via Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun).
Prior to exiting, Gallardo allowed four earned runs on five hits and a walk in a 4-2 loss to the Royals. Through his first four starts this season, the 30-year-old has posted a 7.00 ERA while experiencing a drop in velocity. Further, his K/9 – which has declined precipitously in recent years – has taken another step back this season, going from an already low 5.91 in 2015 to just 4.5. And Gallardo’s normally high ground-ball rate is currently at a career-worst 37.9 percent. All of that spells trouble for Gallardo and the Orioles, who inked him to a two-year, $22MM deal in February after they nixed an agreed-upon third year because of a shoulder problem that popped up in his physical.
“Hopefully (Gallardo) will respond to a period of rest and rehabilitation and return to contribute to the team,” said general manager Dan Duquette (Twitter link via Kubatko).
With Gallardo down, Kevin Gausman’s return becomes all the more important to the Orioles, whose rotation entered Saturday toward the bottom of the league in ERA (5.16). Gausman is expected to make his 2016 debut Monday after missing the first few weeks of the season because of tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. The Orioles’ rotation should now at least temporarily consist of Gausman, Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez, Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson, who will start for the team Saturday.
Unlike Baltimore’s rotation, its bullpen has produced excellent results this year and the return of Matusz should only help matters. Matusz has combined for 151 2/3 innings with a 3.32 ERA in relief over the last three seasons. The 29-year-old has also averaged 9.44 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9 during that time. Matusz will now slide into a 2016 relief corps that also features Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Dylan Bundy and Mychal Givens. Thanks largely to those five, Orioles relievers have put up the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball this year (1.74).
Guess their “crazy prescan” doctors saw something no1 else did in his should
Maybe there was a reason nobody else was interested in him
He’s never had a history of injuries associated with pitchers. Nobody wanted him because of the draft pick they had to give up.
Signing gallardo was a mistake all the way they should have let him go after that physical
You know there is a problem when gameday classifies most of his FB’s as changeups
BOOM. So shut the **** up, all you idiot sportswriters who knocked the Os after his physical. Quit writing.
Are you kidding me, theyre idiots for signing damaged goods in the first place, especially damaged goods that are attached to QO’s. I guess you get guys like this though when you go dumpster diving in February
I would imagine the Orioles have earned some more of the “benefit of the doubt” since this has come to light. I doubt this will be the last time the O’s do thorough physical and medical examinations that may alter their contract terms. And it certainly seems as though they are right to be so scrupulous.
The Orioles should have walked away when the got the initial report of shoulder issues.
A problem waiting to happen.
Guess the price of Hot Dogs and Bar-B-Que at Camden Yards are going up to pay for this guy to be on the DL.