The Orioles cut ties on their Rule 5 experiment with left-hander Nestor Cortes, Jr., designated the reliever for assignment one day after he yielded a second grand slam within a week.
Carrying two Rule 5 picks in the bullpen – both Cortes and right-hander Pedro Araujo need to log at least 90 days on the active 25-man roster to meet Rule 5 requirements – was going to be a challenge, and after the Orioles bullpen had to account for a heavy load in the season’s first 10 games, the club decided it had to go in another direction.