Orioles find new reliever Ondrusek in most unlikely place

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  Roch Kubatko

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  July 29, 2016 6:24 pm

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The Orioles found a pitcher today in a most unlikely place as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. Rather than deal with another major league team, the Orioles signed right-hander Logan Ondrusek and designated reliever Chaz Roe for assignment. Ondrusek, 31, spent the past two seasons with the Yakult Swallows of the Japan Central League, going 8-3 with a 2.17 ERA in 102 games. He allowed 24 earned runs over 99 2/3 innings. Ondrusek went 3-1 record with a 2.45 ERA in 30 games this season,…

The Orioles found a pitcher today in a most unlikely place as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches.

Rather than deal with another major league team, the Orioles signed right-hander Logan Ondrusek and designated reliever Chaz Roe for assignment.

Ondrusek, 31, spent the past two seasons with the Yakult Swallows of the Japan Central League, going 8-3 with a 2.17 ERA in 102 games. He allowed 24 earned runs over 99 2/3 innings.

Ondrusek went 3-1 record with a 2.45 ERA in 30 games this season, allowing eight earned runs over 29 1/3 innings.

The Reds drafted Ondrusek, who’s listed at 6-foot-8 and 230 lbs., in the 13th round of the 2005 draft out of McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. He’s 21-11 with a 3.89 ERA in five seasons with the Reds, making 281 relief appearances. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2014, when he went 3-3 with a 5.49 ERA in 40 games.

Ondrusek appeared in the 2010 National League Division Series and the 2013 NL wild card game. He was granted free agency in December 2014.

Left-handers are batting .236 against Ondrusek in the majors, while right-handers are hitting .257.

“Ondrusek is a proven major league pitcher with good stuff and we believe he can help our major league club now,” executive vice president Dan Duquette wrote in a text message.

Roe, 29, went 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA and 11 strikeouts in nine games with the Orioles, all of them this month. He allowed four earned runs in 9 2/3 innings.

Roe pitched last night in Minnesota and surrendered one run and two hits in 1 2/3 innings. He’s out of minor league options, which is why the Orioles designated him.