The Orioles announced that right-hander Matt Bowman has been designated for assignment. The move opens up a roster spot for fellow righty Scott Blewett, who was acquired from the Braves in a cash deal two days ago.
Bowman is no stranger to the waiver wire, as this is the second time the Orioles have DFA’ed him this season, and he bounced around the league several times in 2024 and ended up pitching for four different teams at the MLB level. His previous designation and outright back in May saw Bowman accept the outright assignment off the 40-man roster, though he has the right to reject any future outright in favor of free agency.
It remains to be seen if Bowman will again stay put if he clears waivers and is outrighted this time. Bouncing up and down between Triple-A and the big leagues within one organization might carry more appeal for Bowman than his four-club experience in 2024, and since Bowman is out of minor league options, he isn’t likely to gain more roster security on other team.
In between the roster moves, Bowman has a 4.57 ERA over 21 2/3 innings and 18 relief appearances for Baltimore this season, posting a solid 5.3% walk rate but also an uninspiring 16.8% strikeout rate. Bowman’s latest stint on the O’s roster ended on a high note, as he tossed 2 1/3 innings of hitless shutout ball in the Orioles’ 7-4 win over the Athletics yesterday.