Mariners' Casey Lawrence: Strong final exhibition appearance
Rotowire
Lawrence started Tuesday's exhibition finale against the Padres and allowed two earned runs on three hits, a walk and a wild pitch over five innings. He struck out two.
The right-hander put together a solid showing against a Padres lineup that featured almost all regulars. Lawrence received a spring training invite alongside the minor-league contract he inked back in early February, and he's in his second tour of duty in the Mariners organization after also spending part of 2017 and all of 2018 with Seattle. Lawrence's quality spring notwithstanding (2-1, 3.86 ERA across 16.1 innings), he could be headed to Triple-A Tacoma to open 2024 as organizational depth considering his lack of both past major-league success and a 40-man roster spot.
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Mariners' Casey Lawrence: Invited to Mariners' camp
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Lawrence signed a minor-league contract with the Mariners on Wednesday that includes an invitation to spring training, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.
Lawrence got into 15 games with the Cardinals in 2023, holding a 6.59 ERA and 20:10 K:BB over 27.1 innings. The 36-year-old figures to operate as swingman depth at Triple-A Tacoma.
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Casey Lawrence: Heads to open market
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Lawrence cleared outright waivers Thursday and elected to become a free agent.
Lawrence struggled to a 6.59 ERA in 27.1 innings of relief this season with the Cardinals. The 35-year-old right-hander will likely have to settle for a minor-league contract if he wants to continue his playing career.
Lawrence (1-0) allowed two walks and struck out one over two scoreless and hitless innings to earn the extra-innings win over the Padres on Saturday.
Lawrence got the ball in the 10th inning and stayed in for the 11th after the Cardinals pulled ahead. This was just his fourth scoreless appearance in 11 outings since he joined the Cardinals in mid-August, though he has been better in shorter assignments. Lawrence has a mediocre 5.64 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 17:10 K:BB through 22.1 innings while adding four holds.
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Cardinals' Casey Lawrence: Selected to MLB roster
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St. Louis selected Lawrence's contract from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.
Lawrence has posted an underwhelming 4.76 ERA and 90:31 K:BB in 104 innings this season between the Triple-A affiliates of the Blue Jays and Cardinals. The veteran right-hander will likely operate in a mop-up role.
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Cardinals' Casey Lawrence: Inks MiLB deal with Cards
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Lawrence signed a minor-league contract with the Cardinals on Thursday.
After opting out of his deal with Toronto on Sunday, Lawrence will remain on a minor-league deal with the Cardinals. The 35-year-old righty hasn't been anything special in Triple-A this season, putting up a 4.67 ERA and 1.39 WHIP through 90.2 frames. Subpar minor-league stats and a poor MLB track record make it unlikely Lawrence sees the majors in 2023.
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Casey Lawrence: Opts out of minors deal
Rotowire
Lawrence was released by the Blue Jays on Sunday, Eric Treuden of FanSided.com reports.
Treuden notes that Lawrence exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and is in talks with the Cardinals and Yankees on a new contract. Lawrence, 35, has spent all of this season at Triple-A Buffalo, posting a 4.67 ERA in 18 starts.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Moved to minor-league camp
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Lawrence was reassigned to minor-league camp by the Blue Jays on Saturday, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports.
Lawrence was signed to a minor-league contract in January with an invite to major-league camp. The right-hander gave up four runs in eight innings over four Grapefruit League appearances, and he'll be a bullpen depth option in 2023. It's unclear if he'll work as a reliever or starter with Triple-A Buffalo after starting 37 of his 48 minor-league appearances over the last two years.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Re-ups with Blue Jays
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Lawrence re-signed with the Blue Jays on a minor-league contract Monday.
Lawrence spent most of last season at Triple-A Buffalo, though he did return to the majors for the first time since 2018 with six relief appearances. The 35-year-old will provide some swingman depth for the Blue Jays.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Sent to minors
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Lawrence was outrighted to Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.
Lawrence had a brief stint with the major-league club to close out the regular season but was left off the Blue Jays' wild-card roster. He'll lose his spot on the 40-man roster now that the season is complete.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Absent from wild-card roster
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Lawrence is not on the Blue Jays' 26-man wild-card roster, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.
Lawrence was called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday for the team's doubleheader with the Orioles, pitching 2.1 innings while allowing one run on three hits and a walk. The 34-year-old was unsurprisingly not chosen for the postseason roster after posting a 7.50 ERA over six appearances in the big leagues this season.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Up for doubleheader
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The Blue Jays recalled Lawrence from Triple-A Buffalo and appointed him as their 29th man for Wednesday's doubleheader with the Orioles.
Reliever Trevor Richards is scheduled to serve as the Blue Jays' opening pitcher for Game 1, but Lawrence is expected to enter the contest behind him and will likely serve as a bulk reliever for Toronto. Lawrence has made each of his five appearances with Toronto this season out of the bullpen, but he had been a member of the Buffalo rotation prior to his call-up. He closed the Triple-A season by covering at least five innings in six of his final seven outings while generating a 3.90 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 24:2 K:BB across 32.1 frames.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Moves to Triple-A
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Lawrence was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, Mitch Bannon of SI.com reports.
Lawrence was called up by the Blue Jays on Thursday, but he didn't make any big-league appearances over the last few days. The right-hander will head back to the minors after Julian Merryweather (oblique) was reinstated from the 60-day injured list ahead of the second game of Monday's doubleheader against the Orioles.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Recalled by Toronto
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Lawrence was recalled from Triple-A Toronto on Thursday.
Lawrence allowed 11 runs in 8.1 innings over a two-appearance stint with Toronto in early July, and he'll rejoin the big club Thursday with rosters expanding to 28 players. The 34-year-old has an 8.04 ERA over 15.2 innings this season but has been better at Triple-A with a 2.76 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 92:17 K:BB across 20 starts.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Sent down Friday
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Lawrence was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo on Friday.
Lawrence struggled over two major-league appearances in July, posting an 11.88 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in 8.1 innings. After giving up five runs in 2.2 innings as the primary pitcher Thursday against the Mariners, he'll head back to the minors. It's possible that he rejoins the Blue Jays as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen at some point.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Sunk by Mariners
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Lawrence worked as the primary pitcher Thursday against Seattle, allowing five runs on seven hits over 2.2 innings. He did not factor in the decision.
Anthony Banda opened the game for Toronto and was charged with two runs while notching just one out. That got him tagged with the loss and allowed Lawrence to escape with a no-decision despite his own ugly performance. Lawrence gave up a run in the second and four in the third before departing having tossed 52 pitches. The right-hander was again strung by the long ball -- he yielded two Thursday and has now served up five homers over his past 12.1 frames. Lawrence has bounced back and forth between Triple-A and the majors this season, and he could be headed back down following Thursday's poor outing.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Lines up as primary pitcher
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Lawrence is expected to serve as Toronto's primary pitcher behind opener Anthony Banda against Seattle on Thursday, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.
Kevin Gausman (ankle) is unable to start Thursday, so the Blue Jays will instead turn to Banda and Lawrence to cover the early innings in the series opener versus the Mariners. Lawrence surrendered six runs over 5.2 innings during his previous appearance for Toronto on July 2, when he served as long relief in a doubleheader.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Recalled from Buffalo
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Lawrence was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday.
Lawrence was sent down Sunday after he gave up six runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out six in 5.2 relief innings against the Rays on Saturday. However, the right-hander should serve as a multi-inning relief option for Toronto once again after right-hander Trent Thornton was optioned to Triple-A on Wednesday.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Sent back to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Blue Jays optioned Lawrence to Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday.
Lawrence was up with Toronto for just one day after he was designated as the 27th man for Saturday's doubleheader with the Rays. With Kevin Gausman exiting after two innings in his start in Game 1 with an ankle injury, Lawrence was called upon in long relief and was the pitcher of record in Toronto's 6-2 loss. He was charged with six runs -- all earned -- on seven hits and one walk while striking out six over 5.2 innings out of the bullpen.
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Blue Jays' Casey Lawrence: Called up as 27th man
Rotowire
Lawrence was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to serve as the 27th man during Saturday's doubleheader against the Rays.
Lawrence was sent to the minors in mid-June, but he'll be available to provide length out of the Blue Jays' bullpen during Saturday's twin bill. Over his first three major-league appearances of the year, he's posted a 3.68 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 7.1 innings.
