Jonathan

Heasley

Heasley’s stay with the big league club lasted just one day this time around, as he was torched for four runs on two hits and a pair of walks in his lone inning of work against the White Sox on Thursday. Nick Vespi was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move to take his place in the Orioles’ bullpen.

With John Means landing on the 15-day IL, the Orioles are calling up Heasley to add depth to their bullpen. The 27-year-old has thrown 4 1/3 innings with the Orioles this year and has an unsightly 12.46 ERA; however, he’s been much more effective in Triple-A with a 0.45 ERA and 0.70 WHIP in 20 innings, striking out 18 and walking just four. With Cole Irvin likely to take Means’ place in the rotation, Heasley could give the Orioles length out of the bullpen.

It’s a sad turn of events for the 31-year-old who seems to be working his way back from arm injuries continuously. He made just four starts this season and left his last one with elbow discomfort. The Orioles have not yet announced the extent of the injury but given that Means has only thrown a combined 31 2/3 innings since 2021, it may be time to make other plans for fantasy leagues. Cole Irvin should move back into the rotation and Jonathan Heasley was called up in a corresponding move.

Heasley heads back to the minors with newly-acquired reliever Yohan Ramírez officially joining Baltimore’s relief mix. The 27-year-old righty has struggled this season in three relief appearances for the Orioles.

Heasley was acquired in the offseason by Baltimore in a trade for RHP Cesar Espinal. The 27-year-old will take the bullpen spot of Cionel Perez after Perez was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain. It’s reasonable to expect Heasley to be nothing more than a low-leverage reliever while with Baltimore.

Heasley, 26, struggled in his time with the Royals in 2023 — posting a 7.20 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and a 9/2 K/BB ratio over 15 frames. He’s always had an intriguing arsenal though, and could be one tweak away from being a viable bullpen option for the O’s in 2024.

The Royals needed to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to make room for Michael Wacha on Monday, so rather than designating Heasley for assignment they found a taker for him. While he has struggled to a 5.45 ERA and 1.27 WHIP over 133 2/3 innings in his big league career, Heasley actually has good stuff and could become a functional piece in the Orioles’ bullpen in 2024.

Heasley heads back to the minors ahead of Saturday’s showdown against the Cardinals. The 26-year-old righty has made 12 underwhelming relief appearances this season in the big leagues.

Heasley, who went 4-10 with a 5.28 ERA in 21 starts for the Royals last season, was just moved to the pen in Triple-A last week because of his struggles down there, and it’s already looking like the switch could save his career. He averaged 97.4 mph with his fastball today, up from 93.4 mph as a starter last year. His curveball has made even bigger gains. Throwing like this, he could be a candidate for saves later this year, assuming that Scott Barlow follows Aroldis Chapman out of Kansas City before the deadline.

Heasley has made one relief appearance this season in the big leagues and will provide Kansas City with some extra relief depth moving forward.