Baltimore Orioles release pitcher Logan Ondrusek
By Ben Palmer
The Baltimore Orioles have released right-handed pitcher Logan Ondrusek. The 32-year-old was out indefinitely after feeling elbow soreness last Friday.
The Baltimore Orioles have released 32-year-old right-handed pitcher Logan Ondrusek, per Dan Connolly on Twitter.
Ondrusek was on a one-year deal with the Orioles, but his release means that the team will no longer be required to pay the majority of his $650,000 contract, freeing up some money for the team.
Ondrusek was signed by the Baltimore Orioles halfway through the 2016 season after spending some time in Japan with the Yakult Swallows. During his time in Japan, Ondrusek pitched well, pitching a 2.45 ERA in 29.1 innings pitched.
That performance in Japan was good enough to convince the Orioles to sign him, however he did not perform well in the majors. In only 6/1 innings of work, Ondrusek gave up seven earned runs and only struck out four before eventually being sent down to the minors.
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The Orioles declined Ondrusek’s option this offseason, but decided to sign him to a one-year deal later on. However, after he was declared out indefinitely after experiencing elbow soreness at a Grapefruit League game last Friday, the Orioles placed him on waivers, and then subsequently released him.
Ondrusek is scheduled to meet with Dr. James Andrews next week in regards to his elbow soreness. A meeting with Dr. Andrews is often a bad sign, and typically means Tommy John surgery is under consideration. If Ondrusek needs Tommy John surgery, it’s likely that he won’t be playing any baseball for quite some time, if at all.
Ondrusek had some moderate success during his time in the majors earlier on in his career, spending eight years in the Cincinnati Reds organization, but only four years in the majors for them.
His best season was in 2011 in which he pitched 61.1 innings out of the bullpen with a 3.23 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 6.02 K/9.
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This is a relatively minor move for the Orioles, however it will free up some money for a team that could use every penny, and will allow them to spend money in places they really have a need.