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Baltimore Orioles Make Roster Move After Cade Povich’s Demotion
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- Baltimore Orioles Make Roster Move After Cade Povich’s Demotion
(Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images)
The Baltimore Orioles optioned left-hander Cade Povich back to the minor leagues during their current series against the Minnesota Twins .
Povich had a shaky outing against the Texas Rangers this past Sunday, and although the Orioles won, he allowed three runs across three innings with two walks and just two strikeouts. In a corresponding move, the Orioles added right-hander Cam Sanders from Triple-A to reinforce the bullpen .
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The decision to option Povich will likely open a spot for right-hander Chris Bassitt , who is nearing a return from his back surgery and could rejoin the rotation in the coming days.
With Povich now in his third year with the Orioles, it remains unclear if he will ever truly get a sustained shot in the starting rotation. After making 15 or more starts in both 2024 and 2025 while posting an ERA north of 5.00 in each season, he has taken a step forward this year.
But even on an Orioles team that sold pitching depth at the trade deadline, opportunities have been hard to come by. Across six appearances this year, the 26-year-old former third-round draft pick owns a 4.45 ERA, which would be a career low. However, walks have continued to be a persistent issue and his strikeout rate has dropped as well, a concerning combination for any player trying to prove they belong in the big leagues.
Bassitt at least carries higher upside than Povich and of course a much larger contract, but he struggled before his injury and returning from a major back procedure that sidelined him for months raises real questions about what he will look like when he gets back on the mound. Still, the Orioles have to take the chance to see what they have and if they should consider re-signing Bassitt this offseason.
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As for Sanders, the 29-year-old is in his first season with Baltimore after being acquired for cash considerations back in July as a depth addition to the bullpen. He had made two appearances before Monday, tossing 1 2/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
He then added two more scoreless innings Monday against the Twins, allowing just one hit and striking out one more hitter. He potentially will get a longer look now given how he has performed, and for a Baltimore team searching for any consistency from its depth arms, that is an encouraging development worth monitoring as the season winds down.
