Yennier Cano might be the Baltimore Orioles' best reliever.
But now he's heading to Triple-A Norfolk after the Orioles sent him down on Sunday.
Cano is a tricky case this season, because he does have a 4.73 ERA in 32 appearances. But his advanced stats don't match his real output.
Opponents are batting an absurd .362 average against him on balls in play. That almost certainly won't continue.
Cano has a 2.85 xFIP, a metric that equates to ERA and is based on what a pitcher would be expected to have as an ERA in relation to their strikeouts, walks and home runs allowed.
The righty reliever has struck out 31 batters in 26.2 innings. He also only has eight walks in that span.
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Cano has a career 3.81 ERA, and across 2023 (2.11) and 2024 (3.15) he was even better.
The Orioles could be deciding they just want Cano to get a mental reset, but it's weird timing.
Baltimore has actually started to play well, and now they've sent down their most-trusted bullpen arm.
Expect Cano to be back soon, but in the meantime, feel free to wonder what the Orioles are doing. This move doesn't make a ton of sense.
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