The Baltimore Orioles are moving scuffling right-hander Charlie Morton to the bullpen in an effort to get the two-time All-Star back on track.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde made the announcement Wednesday and did not rule out a return to the starting rotation for Morton, who’s in his first season in Baltimore.
Morton, 41, is 0-6 with a 9.45 ERA in seven games (five starts) after signing a one-year $15 million deal with the club in the offseason. The Orioles used Morton out of the bullpen Tuesday night and it’s going to stay that way, at least in the short term.
The Orioles announced Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Kyle Gibson as the probable starters for the upcoming weekend series against the Kansas City Royals.
Morton’s last start came Saturday against the Detroit Tigers, when he gave up three runs and five walks in 3 2/3 innings in taking his sixth loss. He hasn’t pitched longer than five innings in any start thus far.
Morton is 138-129 with a 4.08 ERA in 390 career games (387 starts) for six teams, most notably the Pittsburgh Pirates (2009-15).
He earned All-Star nods in back-to-back seasons with the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 and 2019.
