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The Cincinnati Reds have signed left-hander Zach Duke to a minor league deal, according to the official transactions page on MLB.com. The 30-year old, who was released by the Washington Nationals on Monday, will report to Triple-A Louisville.
After re-signing with the Nationals in December, Duke broke camp with the major league club and was slated to be a key member of the bullpen. He struggled immensely in twelve appearances (one start), posting a 1-1 record and 8.71 ERA in 20.2 innings of work before being designated for assignment on June 4th, and then released six days later.
In 201 appearances over nine major league seasons with the Pirates (2005-2010), Diamondbacks (2011), and Nationals (2012-2013), Duke is 50-75 with a 4.60 ERA and 4.7 K/9 ratio. He will head to Louisville in hopes of breaking back into the major leagues with the Reds if the need for a lefty arm presents itself later in the season.
