Pitching is hard. Few teams in MLB can attest to that as well as the Baltimore Orioles can this year. To this point in the season, they have posted a 5.49 ERA as a team, ranking 29th in MLB, with a 5.75 ERA from the rotation.
They have faced injuries to some key members of that unit. Zach Eflin only made three starts, and Grayson Rodriguez has yet to make his season debut. But one veteran has had his share of subpar performances this year, and that’s 41-year-old Charlie Morton.
Morton has been so bad this season that just last week manager Brandon Hyde made the executive decision to move the veteran to the bullpen. Well, here we are, one week later, and Hyde is now putting Morton back in the rotation.
Advertisement
To this point in the season, Morton has posted a 9.76 ERA across 27.2 innings in eight games. He leads MLB in losses with six, while leading the American League in earned runs (30) and walks (21).
The regression from the veteran has been evident over the last few years, but that did not stop general manager Mike Elias from handing him a one-year, $15 million deal in the offseason. It is just another example in a long list of questionable moves by the GM.
At this point, Morton’s role can be looked at as nothing more than an innings-eater. He will not even be able to do that effectively because his last relief appearance came just three days ago on Sunday.
The season just keeps getting worse for Baltimore, which still has 128 games left to play.