The revolving door in Baltimore's bullpen just spun again. The Orioles designated right-hander Albert Suárez for assignment, ending his latest stint on the active roster and opening a spot for a fresh arm down the stretch.
If this feels familiar, that's because it is. This marks the fourth time this year Suárez has been DFA'd by Baltimore, according to MLB Trade Rumors. He's spent most of the 2026 season on this exact cycle: get designated, clear waivers, re-sign with the O's, pitch his way back onto the active roster, repeat.
The 36-year-old has been a steady swingman for Baltimore for years, capable of piggybacking starts or soaking up bulk relief innings. This season he made 25 appearances and threw 55 innings, posting a 3.93 ERA — respectable on the surface, but his 4.40 FIP and 4.62 SIERA suggest the results have outrun the process. An 8.3% walk rate paired with a modest 16.5% strikeout rate is the kind of profile that gets a fringe reliever squeezed off the roster the moment the team needs a fresh look.
Workload likely played a role in the timing, too. Suárez had pitched in 3 of the last 5 days, including a 36-pitch outing the day before, so Baltimore swapped him out for a rested body rather than running him into the ground in the middle of a playoff push.
Taking his spot is right-hander Anthony Nunez, called up from Triple-A Norfolk to give the bullpen a fresh arm. Given how the year has gone, don't be surprised if Suárez clears waivers, re-signs, and pops back up on the Orioles roster before September is out — it's basically become his part-time job.