Lefty reliever Nick Vespi on first 2023 trip to the majors

Lefty reliever Nick Vespi spent time on the Norfolk-Baltimore shuttle last year and makes his first trip to Baltimore this year for the Pittsburgh series that begins tonight. He was recalled from Triple-A today and takes the roster spot of lefty Drew Rom, sent back to the Tides.

Vespi’s chances to make the Orioles out of spring training were hindered when he had hernia surgery in early January. It would limit him to three games and three innings in spring training, where he didn’t get into his first game until March 13. But with a 1-0 record and 2.84 ERA in 12 Triple-A games, and with four scoreless appearances his last four games, he’s back in the bigs today.

“Feel good. Felt strong,” he said today of his time with Norfolk. “Coming off the injury and everything, feel back to normal now. Super excited and hopefully I can keep doing what they’ve been doing (out of the bullpen).

“It took a couple of times out on the mound to feel back to normal, but just got my feet wet, started pitching again and feel great,” said Vespi, who has walked five and fanned 17 this year with Norfolk.

He leaves a team with a 26-9 record in the minors to join one that is 24-13 in the majors.

“The vibe is great (at Triple-A),” he said. “We’re winning a lot of ballgames down there and people are playing well. We’re feeding off one another and playing good baseball," he said.

Vespi, 27, had a long road through the minors but finally made his major league debut last year on May 20. He gained some confidence in going 5-0 with a 4.10 ERA in 25 games last season for the Orioles. At Triple-A last year he did not allow an earned run over 28 2/3 innings with Norfolk.

“A lot, a lot,” he said of confidence gained in 2022. “Just the whole experience of becoming a big leaguer and getting big league hitters out. That was fun and I’m ready to build off of that."

And he learned a few things in the big leagues then that he can use again now.

"I'd just say overall, like, a routine as a reliever," he said. "Just being up here and dealing with the workload and stuff like that. The exposure of being up here is something that you have to learn." 

It is always competitive among the players and pitchers on the Triple-A roster to earn call-ups to Baltimore. I asked Vespi how that is playing out this season with Norfolk winning so much and with such a talented roster.

“I’d say it’s a lot of fun," he replied. "Winning those ballgames down there makes baseball a lot of fun. And we’re feeding off one another and just playing such good ball.

“It’s definitely go time (when you come here to a winning team now). There are people that are ready to be up here too.”

Vespi joins a bullpen that ranks fifth in the majors with a 3.10 ERA and ranks third in the American League and fourth in the majors at 2.25 in reliever ERA at home. The O's are second in the majors with 165 bullpen strikeouts, and their 'pen strikeout percentage of 28.0 ranks second in the bigs to Houston at 28.1.