The Minnesota Twins have placed relief pitcher Jorge Lòpez on the restricted list and called up pitching prospect Jordan Balazovic prior to Sunday's series finale with the Detroit Tigers.
López's career has had its share of ups and downs and this year has been no exception. The 30-year-old began this season by not allowing a run in his first 13 appearances but has allowed 15 runs in his past 15 innings, giving him a 2-2 record and 5.00 ERA on the season.
At this time last year, López was one of the top relievers on the trade market, earning his first career All-Star appearance by posting a 1.68 ERA and recording 19 saves for the Baltimore Orioles. But things changed after he was traded to Minnesota, allowing a 4.37 ERA in 23 appearances with the Twins last season.
With this season included, López has allowed a 4.71 ERA in 49.2 innings with the Twins and has put them in a tricky situation. López is out of options, which means he can not be demoted to the minor leagues and after sending four relievers including Yennier Canó to the Orioles to acquire López, the Twins have invested too much to release him.
According to the MLB rulebook, a team can place a player on the restricted list if he is unavailable for non-baseball-related reasons including legal trouble or a personal matter or announces his intention to retire but is still of an age or skill level where he could return.
While López is away from the team, the Twins have called up Balazovic, who was the Twins' fifth-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. The 24-year-old climbed as high as 86th on MLB.com's top prospect list prior to the 2020 season but injuries and poor performance have allowed him to fall to the No. 7 prospect and 20th overall in the Twins organization per MLB.com.
Balazovic got off to a delayed start this season after breaking his jaw in an off-site altercation during spring training but posted a 1-1 record and 4.79 era with Triple-A St. Paul this season.
Balazovic is wearing No. 81 and is available for Sunday's game against the Tigers.
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