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The Miami Marlins have optioned left-handed pitcher Mike Dunn to AAA New Orleans, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com:
#Marlins option Mike Dunn to Triple-A. no corresponding move yet
— Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) May 25, 2012
Dunn, a 27 year-old with four years pro experience, completed little more than nine innings of work over eleven games this season with the Marlins, giving up thirteen hits, eight walks, and seven earned runs while striking out fourteen. And that was before tonight's outing, where he gave up another four runs.
While he has been the secondary Lefty One Out GuY behind Randy Choate most of the season, he's been able to strike out thirteen-and-a-half every nine innings -- but at the cost of almost eight batters over the same frame.
What happened? Michael Jong of Fish Stripes says it's been a combination of an odd skill set going bad at the worst times:
Mike Dunn has basically looked like he did most of last season. He has more walks, but he also has struck out more hitters. It just happens to be that the walks have come at inopportune times (his part in the four-reliever, four-walk fiasco comes to mind) and that he has allowed 16 hits in just over 10 innings.
Some of that is bad placement, some of that is bad luck, and all of it is enough to send him back to Triple-A while the Marlins find a competent final bullpen arm.
No corresponding move has been announced.