The Orioles have selected the contract of righty Matt Wotherspoon from Triple-A Norfolk, the club reported. It’ll be the second O’s stint this season for the 27-year-old, who was outrighted off the 40-man after clearing waivers in April.
The former Yankee farmhand has exhibited consistent bat-missing ability after converting full-time to the bullpen before the 2016 season. In 40 1/3 IP for Norfolk this season, the righty set down nearly ten and a half men per nine with a solid 2.90 BB/9. Wotherspoon’s grounder rates do hover at the low end of the spectrum, though, and it’ll be a challenge to keep ball in yard in Baltimore’s hitter-friendly home park.
The move is the latest in the desperate quest for anything approaching reliability in the Baltimore ’pen. Among regulars, only Paul Fry and Shawn Armstrong have accrued 0.2 fWAR or more on the season, with over a half-dozen names having cost the club an estimated two full wins in ’19.
Good. Now the O’s are with their spoon again.