Diplán the "other" Orioles representative in Futures Game

The list of participants in the All-Star Futures Game is published and eyes race to the American League catchers. There he is, Adley Rutschman, the top minor league prospect and the face, arm and bat of the Orioles rebuild. Right where he belongs.

But double back to the pitchers. Rutschman isn't the lone representative in the organization.

Far less heralded and totally unexpected is right-hander Marcos Diplán, who plays one level above Rutschman in the system and miles below the surface of attention and hype.

Diplán, 24, will be at Coors Field this afternoon rather than sitting in the bullpen at Harbor Park, home of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides. He follows top pitching prospects Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall, who were invited to the 2019 event in Cleveland and each tossed a scoreless inning.

"I'm thrilled for him," said Norfolk pitching coach Kennie Steenstra. "It surprised me a little bit to see him on there, even though he's pitched well here. I didn't know what the consensus is around baseball, whether he's considered one of those guys, so for him to get rewarded with that is outstanding."

News of his inclusion came to Diplán while he was on Norfolk's inactive list, having left for Mexico and the Olympic qualifier.

"I was extremely happy when I heard about it, very excited," he said via interpreter Ramón Alarcón, the Orioles' coordinator of Latin American operations. "I really wasn't envisioning something like that, especially his year. I really didn't have any idea that there was going to be a Futures Game this year.

"I remember when I was younger that the prospects would go and I always wanted to participate, but the opportunity never came."

Diplán is 3-0 with a 2.60 ERA, 19 hits allowed and 22 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings with the Tides over his 14 relief appearances. Two weeks passed between outings.

"He kind of slid through the cracks last year with the alt site, he didn't make that group, so kind of fell under the radar, but once he got up here, he's been very reliable for us in the bullpen, both the middle of the game but sometimes coming in after the starter in the sixth, seventh inning," Steenstra said.

"The stuff is definitely good enough. I think the command has been something that's plagued him a little bit in the past, but he's actually settled in here pretty well and has commanded the ball better and been able to give us some reliable innings in the bullpen every time he's come out. The stuff definitely plays."

In seven minor league seasons, Diplán has registered a 3.84 ERA and 1.425 WHIP and averaged less than one home run per nine innings, but also 4.9 walks. He's also experienced a few major disappointments.

The Orioles designated Diplán for assignment, and later outrighted him off their 40-man roster, in the same month that they claimed him off waivers from the Tigers. He was their first move at the 2019 Winter Meetings and quickly became a forgotten transaction in the media.

"It was a very tough situation," he said. "I was calling my agent back and forth. I really couldn't explain, I had no idea why they did that, but everything happens for a reason, so now I've been invited to the Futures Game and I'm so happy and excited."

Diplán didn't pitch in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season, staying at home and searching for throwing partners at a nearby field. The Orioles had reassigned him to minor league camp on March 6, the same day as Rutschman, who naturally got all the attention.

They can share it at the Futures Game, which must feel like a reward to Diplán for the adversity he's overcome since the Rangers signed him as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2013.

He was handed a $1.3 million bonus. And much later, a few professional disappointments.

"I think it's all the hard work that I put in, the season that I'm having," he said. "I thank God for this opportunity."

It's happening for Diplán after he decided to stay with the Orioles and agreed to another minor league deal in October. He was eligible for the Rule 5 draft.

"I remember talking to my agent about this and we knew this organization has a lot of opportunities right now and that really was the main point that convinced me to go ahead and sign," he said.

"I remember I signed very early in the winter. There are opportunities and I'm just trying to take advantage of them. I'm working really hard for it and hopefully that happens at some point. It's the main reason why I'm here, the main reason why I go out every single day and do my job as well as I can, to get an opportunity to help them. I hope that can happen."