The Baltimore Orioles made a bullpen move ahead of their series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, recalling right-hander Anthony Nunez from Triple-A Norfolk while designating fellow righty Albert Suarez for assignment.
Baltimore entered the series with a heavily taxed bullpen following a difficult three-game set against the New York Yankees, which ended in a sweep. Suarez had been used more than any other Orioles reliever during the series, throwing 57 pitches over three days.
With the bullpen in need of a fresh arm against Tampa Bay, the Orioles opted to remove their most heavily used pitcher from the active roster. The DFA marks the fourth time this season that Baltimore has designated Suarez for assignment.
Orioles DFA Albert Suarez for Fourth Time in 2026
In 25 appearances this season, Albert Suarez has recorded a 3.93 ERA and 4.40 FIP over 55 innings. He has primarily worked as a bulk reliever, with 20 of those outings lasting multiple innings. A significant portion of his work has come in low-leverage situations, including games where Baltimore is either trailing late or facing a large deficit, allowing the Orioles to preserve their higher-leverage bullpen arms.
Baltimore now has five days to either place Suarez through waivers for an outright assignment or release him. Because the right-hander has more than three years of MLB service time and has already been outrighted by the organization multiple times, he has the option to reject another assignment and enter free agency.
If Suarez chooses that route, he would have to give up the remainder of his 2026 salary, although that is unlikely to play a major role in the Orioles’ roster decision.
Over three seasons with Baltimore, Suarez has compiled a 3.68 ERA and 4.16 FIP across 200.1 innings. While his role may not attract much attention, he has provided the Orioles with valuable pitching depth and the ability to absorb innings when needed.
Given how the Orioles have handled his previous DFAs, this situation could ultimately follow a familiar path. Suarez will likely decline an outright assignment and test free agency before potentially returning to Baltimore on another minor league contract.
He could spend some time with Triple-A Norfolk to remain sharp, but if the Orioles once again need a pitcher capable of covering multiple innings, Suarez could eventually find his way back onto the major league roster.
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