Duke found no takers on the waiver wire after being designated for assignment Monday. He'll likely be looking for a minor-league deal after recording a 5.01 ERA and an 18:18 K:BB in 23.1 innings of work for the Reds.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Removed from 40-man roster
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Duke was designated for assignment by the Reds on Monday.
Duke had a brief stint on the injured list in late May but still had significant issues allowing baserunners since being activated with a 9:7 K:BB and 1.57 WHIP over 7.2 innings. The veteran left-hander finishes his 30-game tenure in Cincinnati with a 5.01 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 18:18 K:BB.
Duke (calf) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Friday.
Duke wound up requiring just a minimum-length stay on the injured list. His 6.32 season ERA is quite poor, though he's allowed just a single run in his last eight appearances.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Expected back Friday
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Duke (calf) is expected to return from the 10-day injured list ahead of Friday's series opener against the Nationals, John Fay of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
It sounds like Duke will skip a minor-league rehab assignment and rejoin the Reds when first eligible Friday. Prior to landing on the shelf with a right calf strain, the veteran southpaw struggled to a 6.32 ERA, 1.72 WHIP and 9:11 K:BB in 15.2 innings.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Out with calf strain
Rotowire
Duke landed on the injured list Monday with a right calf strain.
Duke had been pitching well lately, allowing just a single run in his last eight appearances. It's not yet clear how much time he's expected to miss. Utility man Josh VanMeter was called up in a corresponding move.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Gives up homer to lefty
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Duke gave up one run over two innings in Friday's loss to the Dodgers, with the run coming on a homer by lefty Cody Bellinger.
The homer was only the second that he's allowed all season, but he still has a 6.75 ERA and 1.73 WHIP over 13.1 innings. On a team with four lefties in the bullpen and a whopping nine relievers overall, it's difficult to imagine the Reds hanging onto Duke all season.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Another bad outing
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Duke retired just one batter Thursday night and allowed a two-run homer to Freddie Freeman.
Duke's struggles forced the Reds to use Raisel Iglesias to get the last five outs. The homer to Freeman is especially grating because Duke is on the roster to get the tough lefties out.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Struggles continue
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Duke walked in a runner and allowed two more inherited runners to score on a single in Sunday's loss to the Cardinals.
Though he wasn't charged with any runs in his third of an inning, it was yet another shaky outing for the veteran lefty. Duke has an 8.31 ERA and 2.08 WHIP over eight outings, and his spot on the roster could be in jeopardy when the Reds get Alex Wood back from the IL and need to make room for him.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Saddled with loss Tuesday
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Duke got the loss Tuesday after allowing two baserunners on a walk and a single, both of whom came around to score on Orlando Arcia's homer off of Michael Lorenzen.
Duke inherited a 1-1 tie after Anthony DeSclafani pitched five strong innings, but he and Lorenzen couldn't get the job done.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Opening Day win
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Duke was awarded the win Opening Day on Thursday against the Pirates after retiring the two batters he faced.
Duke got the Reds out of the inning after they fell behind, only to see them rally in the seventh inning to take the lead. Occasionally he'll be called upon to protect a lead, but often he'll be used exactly how he was Thursday -- to get a couple of tough left-handers out, or to keep a game close or tied.
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Reds' Zach Duke: In contention for final spot
Rotowire
Duke gave up two runs in an inning Tuesday against the White Sox, raising his spring training ERA to 4.91. He's competing with Cody Reed, Wandy Peralta, Matt Wisler among others for one of the final two bullpen spots with the Reds, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
The mediocre numbers mean less than how Duke looks overall to the coaching staff. Many of his competitors have options remaining, which works in Duke's favor. Working against him is that there's not much in the way of future upside for him, so the Reds might not worry too much about losing him if they try to pass him through waivers.
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Reds' Zach Duke: Signs with Reds
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Duke signed with the Reds on Friday, Jon Heyman of FancredSports.com reports.
Duke's ERA slipped above 4.00 last season for the first time since 2013, but a 4.15 mark is still acceptable, and his underlying numbers looked good. His 21.3 percent strikeout rate and 8.8 percent walk rate were each right around average, while his 59.4 percent groundball rate was quite strong, helping him allow just a single home run in 52 innings. Homers could be tougher to avoid in Cincinnati, and he's unlikely to factor into the closer conversation at any point, so his fantasy value remains low.
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Mariners' Zach Duke: First win in Seattle
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Duke (4-4) struck out the only batter he faced to grab his first victory in a Mariners uniform Sunday against the Blue Jays.
A quick five pitches was all it took for Duke to dispose of the pinch-hitting Teoscar Hernandez to end the seventh. He was subsequently rewarded with his first victory in his new digs when Nelson Cruz snapped a 3-3 tie in the home half of the frame with a two-run home run. Duke has been put right to work by manager Scott Servais, with Sunday serving as his third appearance in the six days he's been with the club. He's expected to see plenty of matchup-based assignments in the middle-to-late innings as warranted.
