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The Orioles have activated All-Star closer Zach Britton from the 60-day disabled list, the team announced.
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 11, 2018
Reinstated LHP Zach Britton from the 60-day disabled list (right Achilles surgery).
Placed RHP Pedro Araujo on the 10-day DL (right elbow sprain).
Transferred OF Colby Rasmus to the 60-day DL (left hip flexor strain).
This activation is a long time coming for the 30-year-old Britton. Before any baseball activities began this year, the Britton tore his right Achilles in December while working out. The injury put an exclamation point on a rough 2017 season for him that featured two stints on the DL due to a left forearm strain and knee soreness and him struggling overall by his standards.
Now that he is activated, Britton will try to get back to playing like he did in 2016, when he led the majors with 47 saves, posted an eye-popping 0.54 ERA and finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting. He also recorded an American League record 60 consecutive saves from Oct. 1, 2015 to Aug. 27, 2017.
For the struggling Orioles, they hope they can get good enough production from Britton over the next month so that they could potentially get some nice pieces if they decide to become trade him. After all, Britton’s durability and struggles in 2017 (1.0 WAR, 2.89 ERA, 1.53 WHIP in 38 appearances) are concerns that any contending team would have taking on a player that is making $12 million this year. However, Britton would more than likely be a rental at this point because he is a free agent at season’s end.