The Orioles announced Sunday morning that they have designated left-hander Cole Irvin and infielder Nick Maton for assignment. The trades free up active roster spaces for outfielder Heston Kjerstad and right-hander Jacob Webb, who were activated from the injured list in equivalent moves. The club’s roster has been reduced from 40 to 38 players.
Irvin, 30, is currently in his second season with the Orioles. The lefty was acquired from the A’s before the 2023 season to help provide stability at the back of Baltimore’s rotation. While he has struggled to keep a consistent hold on a spot in the rotation (or even on the roster) during his time with the club, he has offered the Orioles a versatile depth option capable of pitching out of the rotation or bullpen as needed.
In his two seasons with the team, Irvin has a combined 4.68 ERA and 4.56 FIP in 184 2/3 innings of work, appearing in 49 games, 28 of which were starts. He struggled in his most recent stint with the Orioles, allowing three runs on four hits (two home runs) and striking out five in four innings spread across two appearances.
Maton, 27, has spent the majority of the 2024 season at Triple-A Norfolk, and while he has hit well there, with a.273/.429/.455 slash line in 86 games, his record with the big league team has been far less remarkable. Maton has only appeared in five games as a pinch hitter this year and has gone hitless with two strikeouts in those five at-bats.
Before joining the Orioles, Maton succeeded in a bench role for the Phillies, hitting.253/.330/.434 in 216 plate appearances before being moved to Detroit and struggled in a greater role with the Tigers, hitting only.173/.288/.305 in 93 games.
Meanwhile, Kjerstad returns to the active roster, rejoining the club’s outfield rotation. The 25-year-old had a concussion after he was hit in the head by a pitch from right-hander Clay Holmes on July 12 and attempted to return just over a week later.
Kjerstad hit just.111/.238/.111 in his 21 plate appearances after returning, and he was eventually placed on the injured list on August 1 owing to the problem. Kjerstad has a strong.261/.370/.420 slash line in 81 big league plate appearances this year and could provide the club with another viable outfield option behind Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander, and Colton Cowser in the season’s closing weeks.
Given the team’s significant downturn since the beginning of August and Ryan Mountcastle’s wrist ailment, Kjerstad may even play first base, where he has 46 games of minor league experience.
Webb, a right-hander, has emerged as an important member of the Baltimore bullpen since being claimed off waivers from the Orioles in August. Webb has a fantastic 3.14 ERA, 3.35 FIP, and 25.4 percent strikeout rate in 71 2/3 innings with the club since then. The righty was sidelined in early August due to elbow discomfort, but he is expected to return to the club’s late-inning mix alongside Seranthony Dominguez and Yennier Cano heading into the postseason.
