The Pittsburgh Pirates have activated Charlie Morton from the 15-day disabled list. To make room on the active roster, the team has designated Radhames Liz for assignment. The move for Morton was expected, since he is the scheduled starter for tonight’s game. As for Liz, this isn’t an unexpected move, although it wasn’t exactly clear how the Pirates planned to clear a spot for Morton.
The addition of Morton moved Vance Worley to the bullpen, which meant that someone from the pen had to go. It made sense that this was Liz, since Worley essentially took his spot. Liz had a 4.41 xFIP in 17.1 innings, with a 9.35 K/9 and a 5.19 BB/9. His walks were way too high, which has always been an issue for him.
The Pirates signed him for $1 M, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he clears waivers and is outrighted to Indianapolis. He’s a hard thrower, averaging 94 MPH on his fastball. If he does make it to Triple-A, we’ll get a chance to see if he can get the control straightened out. However, there might be better options ahead of him, such as Blake Wood, or John Holdzkom, when he eventually returns.