The Orioles announced this afternoon that right-hander Travis Lakins Sr. has gone unclaimed on waivers. He’s been sent to Triple-A Norfolk, but he’ll have the right to refuse that assignment in favor of minor league free agency as a player who has previously been outrighted in his career.
Lakins, 28, has appeared in parts of four big league campaigns. He debuted with the Red Sox in 2019 and has spent the past three seasons as a multi-inning reliever in Baltimore. Lakins owns a 5.20 ERA across 64 frames with the O’s, striking out 19.7% of batters faced while walking 12.5% of opponents. That includes 10 1/3 frames of 11-run ball earlier this season. Lakins was selected onto the big league roster in mid-April and made six appearances before hitting the injured list during the second week of May with inflammation in his throwing elbow.
Baltimore eventually transferred Lakins to the 60-day IL, and he’s spent the past three and half months on the shelf. He recently began a rehab assignment and is apparently healthy enough for reinstatement, but the O’s no longer wanted to devote him a 40-man roster spot. Rather than put him back on the roster, they sent him through waivers.
A former sixth-round draft pick, Lakins owns a 4.13 ERA over parts of four seasons in Triple-A. He’ll now decide whether to head back to Norfolk or set out to the open market in search of a new opportunity. If he accepts the outright assignment, Lakins would reach free agency at the end of the season if he’s not first added back to the 40-man roster.
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