Orioles designate Kyle Gibson for assignment, recall Kade Strowd from Norfolk

BALTIMORE—After four starts, the Orioles have ended Kyle Gibson’s time with the team. Gibson was signed to a one-year $5.25 million contract on March 21^st as spring training was nearing its end.

The Orioles recalled 27-year-old right-hander Kade Strowd from Norfolk. Strowd was recalled on April 28^th for one game but did not pitch. He is 1-1 with a 7.47 ERA with a save in 13 games with the Tides.

Gibson’s first start was disastrous. On April 29^th, he allowed four home runs to the New York Yankees’ first five batters and five in the first two innings.

On Saturday against the Washington Nationals, Gibson allowed the first six batters to reach. All scored, and he was pulled after retiring just two batters in a 10-6 loss. In his four starts, the 37-year-old right-hander was 0-3 with a 16.78 ERA.

Saturday’s game was the first without Brandon Hyde as the team’s manager. He was fired after Friday night’s 4-3 loss to the Nationals when the Orioles left 15 runners on base and fell to 15-28.

“I think physically I feel good,” Gibson said after Saturday’s start. “Stuff-wise frustratingly feels good. Bullpen’s feel good, everything’s been pretty normal. I think these first two or three weeks have been frustrating to say the least. Hard to find words really to go into it and to kind of voice it appropriately, honestly. Four times taking the mound feeling like you haven’t given the team a chance to win each time is a pretty big gut punch.

“Feeling like you’re part of getting a manager fired is a gut punch. Just not going out there and being able to compete and give the team a chance to win every five days is frustrating. So, yeah, I don’t know if any of you guys have ever felt the feeling of essentially letting down your co-workers, but it’s a gut punch. It’s not anything I enjoy feeling at all, but that’s kind of been the reality of the first four starts.”

The Orioles haven’t closed the door on keeping Gibson in the organization. It’s possible that once Gibson clears waivers, he could return to Triple-A Norfolk on a minor league contract and show that he can still help the Orioles. He pitched three times in the minor leagues, twice at Norfolk and once at High-A Aberdeen, before the Orioles brought him to the majors.

In 2023, Gibson led the Orioles in wins with 15 and threw 192 innings.

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