Blue Jays Designate Richard Lovelady For Assignmen

The Blue Jays announced this morning that theyve selected the contract of left-hander . Fellow southpaw was designated for a signment to make room for Fluharty on both the 40-man and active rosters. In addition, the Blue Jays announced that right-hander has cleared waivers and been a signed outright to Triple-A. Lovelady, 29, was a tenth-round pick by Kansas City back in 2016. He made his big league debut with the club during the 2019 season and spent parts of three seasons in the clubs bullpen. He struggled badly to a 7.71 ERA in 21 innings of work between 2019 and 2020, but in 2021 he Frank Ntilikina Jersey began to look like a valuable relief option with a 3.48 ERA, 3.85 FIP, and a 27.4% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 7.1%. Unfortunately for the lefty, he would require Tommy John surgery near the end of the 2021 campaign and mi sed the entire 2022 season while rehabbing. He wouldnt get the chance to return to the mound in Kansas City, as he was dealt to Atlanta just before the 2023 campaign began. That stay was very brief, however, as he made just five appearance at Triple-A before being plucked off waivers by Oakland. He posted middling numbers in 23 1/3 innings of work for the As, with a 4.63 ERA and 4.54 FIP acro s 27 appearances before being shut down due to a forearm strain. Lovelady was eventually outrighted off the clubs roster and elected free agency, at which point he signed a minor league deal with the Cubs. Loveladys time in Chicago was brief, as he posted just 5 2/3 innings of work and was shelled to the tune of a 7.94 ERA during that limited time. He was DFAd in May of last year and shipped to the Rays shortly thereafter before enjoying a succe sful season in Tampa. Acro s 28 2/3 innings the rest of the way, Lovelady posted a solid 3.77 ERA with a 3.83 FIP. That didnt stop the Rays from non-tendering the southpaw back in November, however, which led him to join the Jays on a minor league deal back in January. He made the clubs Opening Day roster but walked two batters and hit another three in 1 2/3 innings before todays DFA. Going forward, the Jays will have one week to either work out a trade involving the southpaw or place him on waivers. Loveladys departure makes way for Fluharty, whose first appearance will be his big league debut. The Jays fifth rounder in 2022, the southpaw posted a decent 3.63 ERA with an excellent 27.4% strikeout rate in 67 innings of work at Triple-A last year. Solid as that performance was, Fluharty really made his case for a big league opportunity during Spring Training with a sterling 1.29 ERA and 11 strikeouts in just seven innings of work during camp. While the southpaw didnt quite make the clubs initial Opening Day roster, hes now poised to get the first big league opportunity of his career. As for Nance, the 34-year-old signed with the Cubs out of indy ball back in 2016 and made his big league debut in 2021. He struggled to a 7.22 ERA in that first cup of coffee, but hes looked like a solid middle reliever since then with a 4.25 ERA (97 ERA+) and a 3.80 FIP in 65 2/3 innings of work for the Marlins and Blue Jays since the start of the 2022 season. Hes struck out an impre sive 26.3% of opponents during that time while walking 10.4%. Nance now figures to remain at Triple-A Buffalo as non-roster depth for the Jays going forward. Immanuel Quickley Jersey