Orioles return Rule 5 pick Mac Sceroler to Reds

The Orioles have returned right-hander Mac Sceroler to the Reds organization.  The Orioles selected Sceroler away from the Reds with the fifth pick of last December’s Rule 5 draft, but after Baltimore designated the righty for assignment earlier this week, the O’s had to offer him back to Cincinnati when no team claimed him off waivers.

Prior to this season, Sceroler had never pitched above the high-A level since being a fifth-round pick for Cincinnati in the 2017 amateur draft.  Sceroler had to spend the entire 2021 season on the Orioles’ active roster for the team to officially secure his rights, but he ended up pitching in just five MLB games due to spending almost two months on the injured list with right shoulder tendinitis.

Sceroler’s first taste of the majors didn’t go well, as he posted a 14.09 ERA over 7 2/3 innings, with seven walks and six home runs allowed in that brief sample size.  He’ll now head to the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, but it’s worth noting that Sceroler also struggled (16.62 ERA) in 4 1/3 innings for Baltimore’s Triple-A team while he was rehabbing his shoulder this season.

The Orioles have traditionally made frequent use of the Rule 5 Draft to add young talent to the roster, with Anthony Santander, T.J. McFarland, Ryan Flaherty and Joey Rickard the most notable names acquired via the Rule 5.  Right-hander Tyler Wells is the lone remaining 2020 selection who is still on Baltimore’s active roster, and Wells has looked quite good in his rookie season, posting a 4.01 ERA, 31.3% strikeout rate and 6.0% walk rate over 33 2/3 innings out of the Orioles’ pen.