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Left-handed pitcher Bruce Zimmermann, a Baltimore native, has been recalled from the Bowie alternate site to start Game 2 of Thursday’s doubleheader with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Zimmermann, who attended Loyola-Blakefield High and began his college career at Towson, was obtained by the Orioles on July 31, 2018 in the trade that sent Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day to Atlanta.
Last season, the 25-year-old was 7-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 25 games for Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.
Zimmermann had a slow start in summer training after a positive test for Covid-19.
He pitched well during spring training and was scheduled to start against Minnesota in Fort Myers on March 12th before the season was put on hold that afternoon because of the pandemic.
“Very exciting, he’s been throwing the ball well down at Bowie,” manager Brandon Hyde said in a video conference call on Thursday. “Kind of picked up where he left off in spring training. I really felt like he was throwing the ball great. I heard a lot about it, but watching him in major league spring training games, I was really impressed with his stuff.”
The Orioles also recalled right-hander Branden Kline from Bowie and have added right-hander Evan Phillips as the 29th man for the doubleheader.
Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski, who was 1-3 with a 6.81 ERA in 10 games, seven of them starts, has been designated for assignment.
“Very, very tough morning,” Hyde said after telling Wojciechowski the news.
“Especially last year, he really picked us up. We were in dire need of starting pitching. We were having a tough time of finishing nine innings of baseball a lot of nights with very few guys available out of the ‘pen. Our rotation was all over the place and not giving us many innings on a lot of nights. Wojo did a really good job of solidifying and helping us out.”
The Orioles will have to make a move after Game 1 to add Zimmermann to the roster.
Hyde said that Zimmermann would stay with the Orioles after Thursday’s game but wasn’t sure if he would start again.
“He will pitch after today,” Hyde said.
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Good move designating Asher he did have great hair though. Let’s see what Zimmerman can do. Wish we had a backup SS that could hit above 200.
We do ...Valaika.
Yes but he’s on second lately and Velazquez is almost a sure out
I love it. Good luck and congrats to Bruce and his family in Ellicott City
I personally think with Wojo the pitcher , He just didn’t have the high-level stuff, that a starting pitcher needs today be a shut down type guy!
I think he had the good size and height, good velocity, good movement, but he did not have the control and accuracy that is needed on the fastball? I will not be sorry to see him go because I thought his attitude could be a little more positive and happy on the field, and in the dugout (he just didn’t seem to be a great team guy?) .....Thank you for his service and help here in Baltimore!
Boy that Roch Kubatko is an annoying guy on microphone! Wow is he in love with himself? He is a legend in his own..........!
Yeah, no small ego there. He's easily annoyed with us common folk.
Well here's to Zimmermann tossing a gem tonight ! Go Birds
“We just had some talks about adjustments in my game that comes with some of the analytics and things like that we thought would make positive adjustments,” he said. “And kind of took them and just went all-in on them. Made those little adjustments to my game and saw really good results with how we implemented them. And not doing that for just a month or two, but extended over the life of an entire season and into this offseason and continue to build on it, and saw success and want to build on that going forward.”
And he saw results in an area that is important for any left-handed pitcher.
“One of the big ones was how I attack righties,” Zimmermann said. “Obviously, as a lefty pitcher, you are going to sacrifice a few more hits or whatnot. Definitely being able to attack righties and have better success against them was a highlight of it, and that came from the adjustments we made."
“I think it was (a huge boost for me). It was big enough that it made the difference in my season and helping get to Triple-A and having success at the higher levels. And I think we haven’t reached the ceiling, by any means. Just being able to have the resources now in this organization that they’ve implemented in the past couple of years behind Sig (Mejdal), it’s been exciting.” All of this on how analytics brought to the organization by Mike Elias and Sig Mejdal has helped yet another player!!! Just more positive and awesome news!!!
Yahoo, I’m doing cartwheels, I’m so excited in the second coming...go Elias, Mejdal, Hyde, Onesy & most of all, go O’s...
You're just too easy to get your sarcasm goat. So save it "Palsey" which rhymes with "Sissy"!!! You can keep the negativity and stuff it up your azz!!!
I did hear some disappointing news in regards to fan favorite (insert sarcasm here) Chris Davis and his 2 plus years - 46 mm contract going forward. And it has to do with the rumors of possibly another truncated season next year.
Before this season started pthe Giants released infielder Zack Cozart in January and ate the remaining $12.167 million on his contract. The Yankees parted ways with Jacoby Ellsbury in November and he had more than $26 million left on his seven-year, $153 million deal. The Marlins were on the hook, so to speak, for the $22 million owned to former Orioles pitcher Wei-Yin Chen after his release in November.
All while the Orioles saved 14 mm on Chris Davis's contract due to the truncated 60 game season. So the Orioles may just wait until next year to see what kind of official season is announced, so if there is another truncated version of the season and with the expanded rosters, we may see Chris Davis again.
Yahoo, I’m doing back hand springs, what a genius Elias is planning this pandemic to save millions on CD’s contract, what a freakin genius, gotta give him credit where credit is due...gosh, I’m overflowing with positivity regarding Elias, probably should be GM of the year, decade, what the heck, century...go O’s...
Btw, you couldn't do a hand spring or cartwheel even on your best day, you old goat if your life depended on it!!! Get back to reality.
Yes, get back to reality. The O's are a bad team. And all of the young O's who have done well lately were acquired by DUQUETTE!!!
Thanks, GOAT, greatest of all time, you’re just a compliment machine tonight Onesy, keep it up, you might get lucky tonight, luckier than Zim...go O’s...
You're just too easy Palsey Sissy!!! Just too easy!!!
You are so humble, self proclaimed "OriolesNumber1Fan". Just like the O's "Best General Manager Ever" the Boy Wonder Mike Elias.
Why don't you stick to learning how to answer a phone so you can get that big promotion to minimum wage you miserable tool.
A lil pissy tonight, guess you’re not getting lucky, you can’t even use an original line...too easy is my line, that’s right, my bad, you probably cut & paste it again...lmao...go O’s...
Like I've said .. he never says anything he hasn't heard from someone else. Not an original thought in him.
Let’s sign a big contract with the number 62 pitcher , baseball royalty Mr. Valdez ?
I know he’s older, but why is this man not given a big contract for two years immediately? I love this guy! So smooth and under control and shut down! Let’s give them a two-year and $4 million contract immediately?
Looked like the law of averages caught up with him in the first game...go O’s...