Blue Jays' Johnny Barbato: Gets chance with Blue Jays
Rotowire
Barbato signed a minor-league contract with the Blue Jays on June 3 and was assigned to Double-A New Hampshire.
Barbato is back in affiliated ball for the first time since 2018 after spending the past two seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball and the independent ranks. The 28-year-old right-hander worked exclusively as a reliever across his 44 big-league appearances with the Yankees, Pirates and Tigers from 2016 through 2018, but Toronto looks set to evaluate him as a starting pitcher. He's made two turns through the New Hampshire rotation thus far and has allowed two runs on nine hits and four walks over 12.1 innings.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Sent outright to minors
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Barbato was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.
Barbato will join the Mud Hens after passing through waivers unclaimed. The right-hander posted a stellar 1.45 ERA and 0.94 WHIP with 37 strikeouts across 37.1 innings with Toledo this season, though he struggled to a 12.15 ERA and 2.40 WHIP across 6.2 frames with the Tigers.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Barbato was designated for assignment by the Tigers on Tuesday.
Barbato threw 6.2 innings for the Tigers this season, allowing nine runs while posting an ugly 2:5 K:BB. He was removed from the 40-man roster so that the Tigers could select Matt Hall's contract in a corresponding move.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Activated from DL and optioned
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Barbato (shoulder) was reinstated from the 10-day disabled list and sent to Triple-A Toledo on Friday.
Barbato missed just over a month of action due to tendinitis in his rotator cuff and was finally able to return to the mound in a live-game setting during a rehab assignment with Low-A Lakeland on Monday. He will continue shaking the rust off with Toledo for the time being, though he'll likely return to the big leagues at some point this summer when the Tigers require a fresh arm in the bullpen.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Begins rehab assignment
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Barbato (shoulder) retired two of five hitters and gave up three earned runs on one hit and two walks in his rehab appearance Monday for High-A Lakeland.
Barbato wasn't particularly sharp while pitching in his first game in a month after he was sidelined with rotator cuff tendinitis. He needed 27 pitches to record two outs and threw only 12 strikes. The right-hander may need several more minor-league outings to prove his health before the Tigers bring him back from the 10-day disabled list and insert him into their bullpen.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Diagnosed with tendinitis
Rotowire
Barbato's MRI revealed tendinitis in his rotator cuff, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Barbato was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday due to shoulder discomfort and it appears as though he will need an extended period of time on the shelf following Saturday's diagnosis. The right-hander will be reevaluated by team doctors in order to confirm the results, and then we should be supplied with a rough timetable for his recovery.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Lands on DL
Rotowire
Barbato was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday due to shoulder discomfort and will undergo an MRI on Saturday, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
The right-hander carries a 5.68 ERA in six appearances this year. Barbato told manager Ron Gardenhire that his arm had been hurting for three months, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports. The reliever is expected to be out until at least July 4, but Detroit should provide an update after test results are revealed.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Returns to big club
Rotowire
The Tigers recalled Barbato from Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.
Barbato will assume the active roster spot of Drew VerHagen (nose), who was placed on the 10-day disabled list in a corresponding move. It's the third cup of coffee with the big club this season for Barbato, who gave up three runs in 5.1 innings over his previous two stints in Detroit.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Tigers optioned Barbato to Triple-A Toledo following Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.
Barbato pitched a scoreless top of the ninth Sunday, working around a hit and a walk to retire the side in 23 pitches. Though the righty came through with two clean appearances during his latest stint with the big club, he'll lose his spot on the active roster since the Tigers needed room for Drew VerHagen, who will have his contract selected from Toledo ahead of his scheduled start in Game 1 of the doubleheader Monday against the Yankees.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Brought back to majors
Rotowire
Barbato was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Tuesday, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.
Barbato will make his way back to the big leagues following Daniel Stumpf's placement on the 10-day DL with left ulnar irritation. Barbato allowed three runs in 3.2 innings of work during his first stint in the majors this season in late April and early May.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Returns to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Tigers optioned Barbato to Triple-A Toledo on Friday.
Barbato has made only three appearances since being recalled April 26, and allowed three runs on four hits over 4.2 innings. The 25-year-old actually gave up all the runs and hits in his first appearance, but will nonetheless return to Toledo ahead of Saturday's doubleheader with the Mariners.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Struggles in season debut
Rotowire
Barbato tossed two innings in Friday's loss to the Orioles, allowing three earned runs on four hits.
Barbato was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Thursday and was ineffective in his MLB season debut Friday. He did look good in spring training and was likely going to secure an Opening Day roster spot before suffering a forearm injury near the end of March, so he could stick around despite the rough start.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Recalled from Toledo
Rotowire
Barbato was called up from Triple-A Toledo on Thursday.
Barbato will occupy a spot in the Tigers' bullpen after starting the year with Toledo, racking up a 1.17 ERA and 1.25 WHIP over 7.2 innings of relief. The 25-year-old was likely going to make the club's Opening Day roster prior to suffering a forearm injury near the end of March, which caused him to start the 2018 campaign on the disabled list.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Activated, optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Tigers activated Barbato (forearm) from the 10-day disabled list Thursday and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo.
With Mike Fiers (back) due to return from the disabled list over the weekend to push Daniel Norris to the bullpen, the Tigers decided they could get by without an extra relief arm for now, which likely influenced their decision to send Barbato back to the minors. Barbato looked like he was on his way to claiming an Opening Day roster spot before sustaining the forearm injury late in spring training, so if he proves effective in his initial outings with Toledo, it may not be long before he's promoted to the big leagues.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Lands on DL
Rotowire
Barbato (forearm) was placed on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday.
Barbato is dealing with a right forearm strain that will postpone his 2018 debut. The move is retroactive to March 26, which makes Barbato eligible to return as early as April 5 should he be ready. Once healthy, the 25-year-old figures to fill a middle-relief role for the Tigers.
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Tigers' Johnny Barbato: Unlikely to be ready for Opening Day
Rotowire
Barbato is dealing with an elbow injury and isn't expected to be ready to go by the start of the season, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Specifics regarding Barbato's elbow injury remain unclear at this point, but the issue is apparently serious enough to keep him on the shelf beyond Opening Day. A more concrete timetable for his recovery should emerge once more is known about his injury.
Barbato was claimed off waivers by Detroit on Thursday.
Barbato was recently designated for assignment by Pittsburgh last week following one season with the club. During that time, he recorded a 4.08 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 28.2 innings out of the bullpen. The right-hander should give the Tigers a little extra relief depth heading into 2018, and officially fills the team's 40-man roster for the time being.
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Pirates' Johnny Barbato: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Barbato was designated for assignment by the Pirates on Thursday.
Barbato was cast off from the 40-man roster due to the club's signing of right-hander Shane Carle off waivers. The 25-year-old will now have to go through waivers himself, and either latch on with a new organization or report to Triple-A Indianapolis. During the 2017 season, Barbato appeared in 24 games for Pittsburgh, posting a 4.08 ERA and 23:18 K:BB in 28.2 relief innings.
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Pirates' Johnny Barbato: Returning to majors
Rotowire
Barbato was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday.
Now that he's back in the majors, Barbato will add depth to the Pittsburgh bullpen. Barbato has thrown 24.2 innings over 18 games this season and pieced together an underwhelming 4.74 ERA and 1.62 WHIP.
