Orioles Select Matt Bowman

The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Matt Bowman this morning, according to a team announcement. Right-hander Kade Strowd was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Bowman on the active roster, while right-hander Luis Castillo was activated from the minor league injured list and designated for assignment.

Bowman, 34, made his big league debut in 2016 and spent four seasons with the Cardinals and Reds before injuries sidelined him for several years. He returned to the majors in 2023 and bounced between four other teams before settling with the Orioles in 2024. He’s been a frequent rider on the shuttle between Triple-A Norfolk and the big league club in Baltimore since then, and this is the fourth time Bowman’s had his contract selected by the Orioles this season alone. In total, he’s pitched to a roughly league average 4.10 ERA with a 4.22 FIP across 37 1/3 innings of work as a member of the Orioles over the past two seasons.

This latest stint for Bowman in the majors comes at the expense of Castillo, who departs the Orioles organization without making an appearance for the big league club. The 30-year-old righty was acquired from the Mariners in early May after he was designated for assignment by Seattle, but he was optioned to the minors immediately and has spent most of his time in the organization on the injured list with just two appearances at even the minor league level. Castillo began his pro career in the Diamondbacks organization and briefly pitched in the Tigers organization as well before departing affiliated ball for Nippon Professional Baseball. He spent two years in Japan and pitched to a 3.01 ERA across 143 1/3 innings of work before returning stateside to sign with the Mariners on a minor league deal prior to the 2025 season.

Going forward, the Orioles will have one week to either work out a trade involving Castillo or place him on release waivers. Castillo was on the injured list at the time of his DFA today, meaning that the Orioles cannot attempt to outright him to the minor leagues and that he will have to be released when his DFA window expires. That makes a trade somewhat unlikely, and if the Orioles do end up releasing Castillo he’ll have the opportunity to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs. His 7.71 ERA in the majors this year isn’t exactly inspiring, but it’s a sample of just seven innings of work. It’s not at all difficult to imagine clubs having interest in getting Castillo into their organization on a minor league deal given his success overseas.

As for Strowd, the right-hander made his debut earlier this year and has looked solid in three appearances for the Orioles, with a 4.15 ERA in 4 1/3 innings. He’ll head to Triple-A as an optionable depth piece for Baltimore going forward and seems likely to get another opportunity in the majors at some point. If the Orioles opt to sell this summer, that could open up spots in the club’s bullpen and offer players like Strowd and Yaramil Hiraldo more regular opportunities at the big league level.