BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles finally have given up on Mike Wright. For now, anyway.
The 26-year-old righty was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday, a day after getting hammered by the Red Sox to the tune of six runs on seven hits in 2 2/3 innings in Baltimore’s 13-9 win over Boston. Four of those seven hits were home runs. The rough outing was nothing new for Wright.
Last year, in his first taste of big league action, the former third-round pick posted a bloated 6.04 ERA in 12 appearances, nine of which were starts. Not counting his first two outings, when he snuck up on the Angels and Marlins and threw a combined 14 1/3 scoreless innings, Wright had an 8.90 ERA and a 1.98 WHIP over the remainder of the season.
Not surprisingly, he wasn’t expected to be part of this year’s rotation. But holdover Miguel Gonzalez was released in spring training and free agent acquisition Yovani Gallardo went on the disabled list in April, which created a void.
Enter Wright, who’s been treated this season much like he was last year. In 10 games (nine starts), he worked to a 5.88 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP, with nine homers allowed in just 49 innings. In each of his last two appearances, he failed to last five innings. Even though the under-armed Orioles organization doesn’t have a whole lot of replacement options, Buck Showalter had seen enough.
“He's in the process of becoming a good pitcher for us up here,” the O’s skipper said. “Today is part of the process. Lot of guys come up and they get a little better each time. Hoping the next time Mike comes up, we won't need this move to be made.”
In the meantime, Baltimore’s struggling rotation, which ranks 12th in the American League with a 4.78 ERA, remains a work in progress. Options to replace Wright, albeit temporarily, include long relievers Vance Worley and T.J. McFarland, either of whom could make a spot start or two until Gallardo comes off the DL. Gallardo, who’s been sidelined since late April with shoulder tendinitis, is making his first rehab start Thursday in Class-A Frederick.
The plan is for Gallardo to make one more minor league start before rejoining the big club, but based on early returns -- he gave up two runs on four hits in his first inning at Frederick, and was hit hard in four starts before going on the DL -- he might not be much of an improvement over Wright.
