Baltimore Orioles Call Up Minor Leaguer To Replace Injured Starter

The Baltimore Orioles made an interesting roster decision after announcing their new call up will start the series finale on Thursday.

Mar 15, 2024; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Albert Suarez (92) throws | Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

With two of their expected starters currently on the injured list, the Baltimore Orioles added another one to that mix when moving Tyler Wells there following his elbow inflammation.

Based on how the right-hander has performed so far this year (5.87 ERA) compared to his previous three seasons (3.96 ERA), it seems like there could have been an issue developed during his first three outings.

The Orioles are also close to getting Kyle Bradish and John Means back, so their starting unit should look much closer to what they had envisioned throughout the winter when putting together their roster.

However, they will need someone to take the place of Wells in the short term.

Baltimore announced they called up Triple-A pitcher Albert Suarez to their active roster and have designated catcher David Banuelos for assignment.

Suarez has not had a great go of it so far this year, putting up an ERA of 5.87 over his three appearances and singular start in the minors, yet, they'll be handing him the ball as the starting pitcher for the series finale against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

Banuelos was called up on Tuesday and made his Major League debut when manager Brandon Hyde gave the 27-year-old an at-bat in the eighth inning. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get his first career hit because he flew out to right field, but he still had a great moment in an MLB game before getting sent back down to the minors.

The Orioles have been playing good baseball, going 6-4 over their last 10 contests and being only a half game out of first place in their division.

They'll need to continue the offensive prowess they've showcased throughout much of the season while they wait for their starting pitching staff to get healthy.