masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThere were a few moves in the Orioles minors today. Double-A Bowie reinstated lefty pitcher Rick Zagone off the disabled list and released the club’s sixth-round pick from 2008 out of Missouri.

The release of the 26-year-old Zagone is a bit surprising and perhaps an indication of the pitching depth at the higher level of the minors. He went 9-5 with an ERA of 3.41 in 28 games and 22 starts last season between Single-A Frederick, Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.

Zagone led O’s minor league…There were a few moves in the Orioles minors today. Double-A Bowie reinstated lefty pitcher Rick Zagone off the disabled list and released the club’s sixth-round pick from 2008 out of Missouri.

The release of the 26-year-old Zagone is a bit surprising and perhaps an indication of the pitching depth at the higher level of the minors. He went 9-5 with an ERA of 3.41 in 28 games and 22 starts last season between Single-A Frederick, Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.

Zagone led O’s minor league lefties in wins last year with nine and did not give up a run in 20 1/3 innings with Norfolk. In his O’s career, he went 39-33 with an ERA of 3.95 and average against of .256 over 627 innings.

Bowie today also loaned right-handed pitcher Sean Gleason to Puebla of the Mexican League and added pitcher Andy Loomis, who had been on short-season Single-A Aberdeen’s roster.

Meanwhile, the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds added pitcher Tom Winegardner from Aberdeen and transferred pitcher Mychal Givens to Aberdeen.

In four appearances with the Shorebirds, Givens, who moved from shortstop to pitcher this season, is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA and one save. This move could just be a temporary one to get Winegardner active and could see Givens soon return to the active Delmarva roster.

Winegardner was converted late last season from infielder to pitcher and then went 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA over 19 games for Aberdeen. He pitched in one game this season, allowing one run over 2 1/3 innings for the Shorebirds.

Updated: The Orioles are also loaning right-hander Tim Bascom to the Mexican League and he and Gleason remain officially as members of the Orioles’ organization. Bascom was the club’s 2011 Jim Palmer award winner as the Orioles’ minor league pitcher of the year when he went 9-4 with a 3.11 ERA for Bowie.

Bascom was with the Baysox this season and had pitched twice so far, allowing one run over 4 1/3. In 2012, he went 6-6 with a 4.33 ERA over 23 games for Bowie and four for Norfolk.

Update II: Frederick reinstated right-hander Ryan Berry from the disabled list and he was released also today. Berry was the club’s ninth-round pick out of Rice in 2009.

Update III: Turns out there were 12 players in all released by the Orioles today. In addition to Zagone and Berry, the club also has released these players:

* RHP Christopher Green

* RHP Nick Grim

* LHP Duke Porter

* RHP Joseph Rosan

* LHP Clayton Tanner

* RHP Joseph Yermal

* OF Jalen Simmons

* OF Austin Knight

* 2B Tommy Richards

* LHP Aaron Wirsch