-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
BOSTON – The Orioles found a fresh arm for Game 2 of tonight’s doubleheader and parted with a former high-leverage lefty.
Reliever Cionel Pérez was designated for assignment, and the Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo from Triple-A Norfolk.
Hiraldo is wearing No. 76 and waiting to make his major league debut.
The 40-man roster has 39 players.
Pérez has been in a statistical decline since posting a 1.40 ERA in 66 appearances in 2022. His ERA rose to 3.54 with a 1.556 WHIP in 65 games in 2023 and 4.53 in 62 games last season.
The end arrived for Pérez today after he registered an 8.31 ERA and 2.123 WHIP in 19 games. He allowed 20 earned runs (22 total) and 28 hits in 21 2/3 innings, with 18 walks and 21 strikeouts.
His usage was coming earlier in games and in less-pressurized situations. Pérez didn’t allow a run in five consecutive appearances until being charged with five yesterday in one inning.
Home runs off Pérez were scarce - two in 2023, the last on May 31, and none through 2024. The streak ended on March 30 in Toronto, the first of three this season. The last came yesterday on Rob Refsnyder's three-run shot.
Pérez is out of options and had to be designated. The Orioles could try to get him through waivers and outright him.
Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias selected Pérez on waivers from the Reds on Nov. 24, 2021 and it was one of his shrewdest moves, but ineffectiveness and circumstances forced today's transaction.
Playing a doubleheader today and using five relievers in Game 1 left the Orioles in need of an available pitcher. Hiraldo, 29, has a combined 2.45 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 11 games with three affiliates.
Hiraldo registered a 3.86 ERA in 9 1/3 innings with Norfolk and a 1.50 ERA in six innings at High-A Aberdeen. He tossed three scoreless innings with Double-A Chesapeake.
The Orioles signed Hiraldo to a minor league contract in October 2024. He's a former Diamondbacks farmhand who was pitching in Mexico and previously was in the independent Atlantic League.
Hiraldo went on the seven-day injured list on March 28 and didn’t join Norfolk until April 23.
Trevor Rogers will be the 27th player to pitch for the Orioles this season and Hiraldo can push the total to 28. The Orioles used 34 last season.
