After permitting 5 runs in back-to-back losses to the Houston Astros, the Orioles’ third-best reliever is heading to the injured checklist.
Danny Coulombe, one of the best left-hander in Baltimore’s bullpen, was positioned on the 15-day injured checklist Wednesday morning with biceps tendinitis, the Orioles introduced earlier than their matinee towards the Astros. The IL stint is retroactive to Aug. 9. Right-hander Joey Krehbiel was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to switch Coulombe on the 26-man roster.
Manager Brandon Hyde mentioned the hope is Coulombe can return to the Orioles “right when the IL stint is over.” The earliest Coulombe can return is Aug. 24.
Coulombe was a nondescript addition on the finish of spring coaching when the Orioles acquired him from the Minnesota Twins for money. But the veteran lefty has turned out to be one in all Hyde’s most trusted relievers, typically pitching in high-leverage conditions earlier than the All-Star duo of Yennier Cano and Félix Bautista. In 47 appearances, the 33-year-old has a 2.77 ERA with an elite 30.2% strikeout fee.
The 39 innings Coulombe has pitched this season are his most in a serious league season since 2017, when he threw 51 2/3 innings with the Oakland Athletics. He gathered 54 2/3 innings between the majors and minors in 2021. Before he was positioned on the IL, Coulombe was on tempo to pitch 55 innings this season, which might have been his most since 2015.
“He warmed up a couple times two nights ago, just didn’t feel like his arm was getting loose,” Hyde mentioned. “Danny’s pitched a ton this year. Usually when you’re a left-handed reliever, there’s nights when you get up and maybe you don’t get used. He’s just had a heavy workload so far this year, just got a little bit of soreness.”
While he hasn’t been as dominant as Cano or Bautista, Coulombe is having a profession yr with Baltimore after eight years as a journeyman with the Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Twins and minor league associates of the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers. Despite rating within the 2nd percentile in fastball velocity at round 91 mph, Coulombe ranks within the high 25% of nearly each key metric Statcast tracks, in line with Baseball Savant. His 84.9 mph common exit velocity is finest on the Orioles and within the high 2% of main league pitchers, and so is his 34.4% chase fee.
Krehbiel was optioned Wednesday when the Orioles activated Jacob Webb, a right-hander they claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. Krehbiel, a member of Baltimore’s bullpen for many of 2022 with a 3.90 ERA, pitched two scoreless outings after the Orioles chosen his contract from Triple-A Norfolk on July 30.
Coulombe hasn’t pitched since Saturday, however his IL stint is retroactive to Wednesday as a result of Krehbiel was the participant who was recalled. When recalling a participant due to harm, the retroactive date can’t be earlier than the recalled participant was optioned.
The solely left-hander within the Orioles’ bullpen is Cionel Pérez.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com