SARASOTA—The Orioles optioned right-hander Brandon Young to minor league camp on Saturday. The 27-year-old right-hander appeared in two Grapefruit League games, allowing one run on five hits in four innings with three strikeouts. He didn’t walk a batter.
“We’re at that point in camp where guys are getting built up, innings are starting to get limited,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “There is no pathway for him to break with us for Opening Day, so for him and his development, get him out now and built up on the minor league side and really work on some development stuff as far as the physical capacity.”
Young was 1-7 with a 6.24 ERA in 12 starts last season. On August 15th, Young pitched 7 2/3 perfect innings before Houston’s Ramón Urías reached on an infield single.
In his next start, on August 21st, Young gave up seven runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Astros and suffered a season-ending hamstring injury.
“At some point, we’re going to need him.” Albernaz said. “He’s going to impactful for us this year and for years to come. We want to make sure to do right by him and want to make sure that his development is first.”
The Orioles have 67 players on their spring training roster. Two pitchers, Félix Bautista and Colin Selby, are on the 60-day injured list. Three others — infielders Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg and reliever Andrew Kittredge — are expected to begin the season on the injured list.
Notes: Holliday, who is recovering from surgery to remove the hamate bone from his right wrist, hit 40 balls off a tee on Saturday. … Infielder/outfielder Johnkensy Noel, who was hit on the right thumb with a pitch on Friday, said his thumb is fine.
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