The Orioles introduced Wednesday that they’ve chosen the contract of catcher Sam Huff from Triple-A Norfolk. Left-hander Jayvien Sandridge, who had been pitching in Triple-A, was designated for task to open a 40-man spot. Lefty Nick Raquet was optioned to Norfolk to open area for Huff on the energetic roster.
Huff’s name to the large leagues means the O’s shall be enjoying a reliever brief for no less than at present. Huff joins the roster as a 3rd catcher alongside Samuel Basallo and Maverick Handley. Adley Rutschman hit the injured checklist final week on account of an ankle difficulty.
Baltimore signed Huff to a minor league contract again in January. He’s a former Rangers seventh-rounder who’s performed in elements of 5 main league seasons. Now 28 years outdated, Huff as soon as rated as one of many high catching prospects within the sport and carries a good .247/.301/.430 batting line within the majors. That manufacturing is available in a pattern of solely 272 plate appearances and regardless of a 36% strikeout fee, nonetheless. Huff’s manufacturing has been buoyed by a .350 common on balls in play that he’s not prone to maintain over a lengthy interval.
Huff has strong framing grades in his restricted main league work however has struggled with blocking balls within the dust and controlling the run sport. He has simply an 18.5% caught-stealing fee in his profession and has been charged with eight handed balls in 507 innings behind the dish.
It’s been a battle for Huff in a tiny pattern of 9 video games with Norfolk this yr. He’s hitting .156/.250/.168 in 36 plate appearances with the Tides however has a a lot stronger general monitor report in Triple-A. Huff entered the season with a lifetime .258/.338/.476 slash, 56 homers, 60 doubles, a pair of triples, a ten.2% stroll fee and a extra troubling 29.9% strikeout fee in precisely 1200 Triple-A plate appearances.
The 27-year-old Sandridge joined the O’s in a money swap with the Angels shortly after Opening Day. He was initially a Thirty second-round choose by Baltimore again in 2018 however bounces from the Orioles, to the Reds, to the Padres, to the Yankees and to the Angels since that choice. Sandridge made an especially transient MLB debut final season, going through a complete of six hitters and retiring two of them. He has simply two-thirds of an inning and two earned runs within the majors.
Sandridge has pitched in elements of seven minor league seasons however totaled solely 243 1/3 whole innings. He’s logged a strong 3.96 earned run common in that point and punched out almost one-third of his opponents — however he’s additionally issued walks at a 17% clip and plunked one other 22 of the 1108 batters he’s confronted (2%). Coupled with a whopping 44 wild pitches, it’s greater than truthful to say that command is a significant hindrance for the southpaw.
This season, Sandridge has tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings with Norfolk, however he’s walked three of the 9 batters he’s confronted. It’s solely a pattern of two video games, nevertheless it’s notable that his heater, which sat simply shy of 95 mph in Triple-A and averaged 95.6 mph in final yr’s transient debut, is clocking in at a median of 92.9 mph in 2026.
Sandridge is within the second of his three minor league choice years. A staff on the lookout for some left-handed bullpen depth with a knack for lacking bats may roll the cube on a waiver declare or a money swap just like the one which despatched Sandridge again to Baltimore within the first place. The Orioles have 5 days to commerce him or place him on waivers. Since waivers are a 48-hour course of, the result of his DFA shall be recognized throughout the subsequent week.
