Baltimore Orioles designate veteran reliever for assignment

Blewett, 29, was acquired by Baltimore for cash considerations in early June after being designated for assignment by the Atlanta Braves. He made 13 appearances for the Orioles before his injury, posting a 6.17 ERA and 1.41 WHIP with 17 strikeouts over 23.1 innings.

During his rehab assignment at Triple-A, Blewett allowed six earned runs over 6.1 innings, giving up 13 hits and one walk while striking out three. He pitched on back-to-back days to close out his stint with Norfolk, throwing a 1-2-3 inning on Wednesday and recording one out on Thursday.

If Blewett clears waivers, he has the right to elect free agency due to a previous career outright. A club may take a chance on him based on past performance: He brings 43 games of MLB experience and, in 2024, posted a 1.77 ERA, 21.2% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate, and 41.4% ground-ball rate over 20.1 innings with the Minnesota Twins.

McDermott, 27, was recalled earlier this week and last pitched against the New York Yankees on Thursday night, recording one out while allowing four earned runs. He is first eligible to be activated on Sept. 22, but the bereavement list permits him to be away from the club for up to seven days.

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Espada, 28, has recorded a 4.17 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 13.8 K/9 rate over 54 innings split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels this season. He was released by the San Diego Padres on July 22 and signed with the Orioles four days later. On Aug. 11, he was added to the 40-man roster.

If Espada enters a game, it would mark his first MLB appearance since 2023. He would also become the 70th player to appear in a game for the Orioles this season, tying the major league record set by the Miami Marlins last year.