The Orioles are set to shake up their bullpen mix a bit on Wednesday, per Dan Connolly of The Athletic, who reports that the team is set to select right-handers Marcos Diplan and Dusten Knight to the big league roster (Twitter link). Neither pitcher is on the 40-man roster, so Baltimore will need to make a couple of corresponding moves.
Diplan, 24, has bounced around the league a bit in recent years but looks to have found a home in the Orioles organization. The righty was designated for assignment by the Brewers two days prior to the 2019 deadline and traded to the Twins in exchange for cash just an hour before the deadline itself. The Twins designated Diplan a couple weeks later, prompting a waiver claim from the Tigers. Detroit held onto Diplan into the offseason, but the O’s picked him up on a waiver claim of their own in December. Baltimore then managed to pass Diplan through waivers unclaimed the following month, allowing the Orioles to keep him as a non-40-man player.
Despite that journeyman trajectory, Diplan thrived out of the bullpen in Triple-A Norfolk to begin the season — so much so that he was a surprise participant in this summer’s Futures Game. Diplan himself said he was caught off-guard by his selection but very appreciative of the opportunity (link via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko). At the time, he’d pitched to a 2.60 ERA with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate and a 7.8 percent walk rate. He’s yielded four runs in 2 1/3 innings since the Futures Game, but it’s nevertheless been a strong year for Diplan, and he’ll now be rewarded with his first trip to the big leagues more than eight years after he initially signed with the Rangers as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic.
Similarly, it’s been a grind for Knight to reach this point. The 30-year-old righty worked through seven minor league seasons prior to the 2021 campaign, and he also spent time pitching in Mexico and in the independent Atlantic League. He’s pitched in 272 professional games since being selected by the Giants in the 28th round of the 2013 draft, but he’ll now be able to call himself a big leaguer once Baltimore formally adds him to the MLB club later today.
Dusten Knight is the guy who used to backflip after a save in the minor leagues. The Orioles better but him in for a save chance so he can bring out the backflip again!
Unlikely he closes with Wells back and Sulser the closer right now
8 years since the big leagues and he’s 24? I’m no math professor, but he’d have been 16.
Ah I read it wrong
Diplan! Diplan! Welcome to Fantasy Island.
Waived 3 or more times? No problem! You have a home in the Orioles organization. These callups are a rarity for the Birds. Two pitchers and neither has an ERA north of 5.
The Dark Knight and Dustin Knight. A pitching staff for the ages. Merlin will be the Pitching Coach.
Knight may end up as a Mideon reliever. Hopefully he leaves his clothes on though.
I don’t get it.
Pro Wrestling reference. Guy that played Mideon was Dennis Knight and not Dustin though. Not sure if Mideon is supposed to be wordplay? It doesn’t work. Happy to see a 90’s pro wrestling reference either way.
Happy for Diplan remember as a Rangers prospect and thought he was gonna be pretty good…he got a lot of positive grades from the scouts as a teenager