Roster beefed up with Sisco, Yacabonis
Davis out of lineup because of illness; no call for top prospects
SEATTLE — Before opening a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field, the Orioles added two familiar faces to their expanded roster Monday, recalling catcher Chance Sisco and right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis from Triple-A Norfolk.
When rosters expanded Saturday, the Orioles made just one call-up, promoting infielder Breyvic Valera, but intended to make more additions in the coming days as Norfolk’s season wound down. The Tides played their final game of the season Monday.
Sisco, who gives the Orioles a third catcher for the final month of the season, has been largely touted as the club’s catcher of the future. But after making the team’s Opening Day roster and, for a time, unseating Caleb Joseph as the starting backstop, he’s been sent to Triple-A twice, most recently July 17.
Yacabonis reported to the Orioles’ clubhouse at Safeco Field ready to provide innings when asked, just as he’s done all season long. But the prospect of actually sticking around the big league clubhouse for more than a few days was a welcome idea for the 26-year-old.
“Yeah, it would be nice,” Yacabonis said. “Yeah, we’ll see how it goes. I’m looking forward to the opportunity and thankful for the opportunity.”
At this point last year, Yacabonis was getting his first taste of big league action as a reliever. This season, he pitched exclusively as a starter in Triple-A and was the Orioles’ top choice when the club needed a spot starter, even if it from among a thin pool of candidates on the 40-man roster. Yacabonis, 26, will finally get to remain in an Orioles uniform for an extended period this season. The most well-traveled member of the Norfolk shuttle, Yacabonis has been recalled from Triple-A and optioned back seven times this season.
In his first season transitioning to a starter at Norfolk, Yacabonis was 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA over six games (four starts) as a fill-in at the big league level. He was 3-5 with a 4.25 ERA in 21 starts at Norfolk.
“He made some solid strides as a starter,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “If you had told me in the beginning of the year when we decided to go there that he would have responded to it like he did, we would have loved that.”
Overall, Sisco’s performance at Norfolk has been pedestrian, as the left-handed-swinging catcher hit just .225/.328/.315 in 33 games in his most recent stint with the Tides. In 38 games overall with Norfolk, Sisco had a subpar 13.5 percent caught-stealing rate (5-for-37), the worst among Tides catchers. He’s seen better results at the plate recently at Norfolk, hitting .311 with a .831 OPS over his past 14 games before his promotion. Davis scratched: First baseman Chris Davis was scratched from the Orioles’ starting lineup Monday with what Showalter said was an illness.
“It was my decision,” Showalter said before the series opener in Seattle. “Chris is under the weather. There’s a bug going around. He was in the lineup, willing to try to play. Just don’t like how he’s feeling.”
Trey Mancini started at first base for Davis, and Sisco filled Mancini’s spot as the team’s starting designated hitter.
With a two-hit game against the Royals on Sunday, Davis raised his batting average this season to .177, as high as it’s been since May 5. He is hitting .292 over his past 13 games. Top prospects not among call-ups: Showalter said more players would be called up over the next few days, including at least one before Tuesday’s game in Seattle, but that the Orioles are best served by not promoting a pair of farmhands who had exemplary seasons.
Double-A Bowie left-hander Keegan Akin, the team’s secondround pick in 2016, on Sunday was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year after going 14-7 with a 3.27 ERA in 25 starts for the Baysox. He has thrown1372⁄ innings this season — 211⁄ than he had last year between High-A Frederick and the Arizona Fall League.
Right-hander Branden Kline, in his comeback from Tommy John surgery three years ago, had a1.64 ERA and17 saves over 652⁄ innings between Frederick and Bowie.