An update on Tyler Wells in Double-A Bowie

Written by:

Zachary Bucklew

On July 30, the Orioles decided to send down starting pitcher Tyler Wells down to the Double-A Bowie Baysox after having one of his worst starts of the season.

Since that decision, Wells has made two starts in Bowie and has seemed to figure out what he needed to do to get back to the status he had at the beginning of the year.

Before Wells had his uncharacteristically bad July, he was arguably one of the best pitchers in baseball. In the 16 games he pitched, Wells had a 3.21 ERA in 92.2 innings pitched and held batters to a .185 batting average. He also walked just 20 batters and struck out 95.

The Orioles beat the Twins, 6-2. All of their runs and hits came in the second inning. Tyler Wells ends the first half with a 3.18 ERA and a majors-best 0.927 WHIP. They have won four straight since calling up Colton Cowser. With one game left before the break, they are 53-35.
— Nathan Ruiz (@NathanSRuiz) July 8, 2023

Wells’ July was one of the worst months of his career, as he pitched in five games and only went 21 innings in total and had an ERA of 6.43. He had batters not only hit .263 against him but also put up a .948 OPS.

Wells had control issues in that span, as he walked 13 batters and only struck out 16. It was then decided that the 28-year-old needed time in the minors to rest and reset.

Wells’ first Bowie start was on August 5, against the Portland Sea Dogs. In that game, he went 3.1 innings, gave up two hits, one run, walked a batter and struck out two. He held batters in that game to a .167 average and came away with the no decision.

He would then pitch on August 12, against the Richmond Flying Squirrels and also went 3.1 innings. This time, he gave up three hits, one run, walked two batters and struck out three.

Tyler Wells with 1-2-3 first at Bowie that included a called third strike. pic.twitter.com/fVPHxuLA7L
— Steve Melewski (@masnSteve) August 5, 2023

Wells currently has a 2.70 ERA in 6.2 innings with Bowie and has a WHIP of 1.20. There is no timetable for when Wells will return to the major league roster, but the hope is he is ready come postseason time when he definitely will be needed.

The main reason that Wells might have struggled in July is the possibility of arm fatigue. This season is the most innings pitched in a season for Wells, and it’s just his second season where he surpassed 100 innings in a season. It could be a possibility that Wells’ right shoulder, which took him out of baseball in September, could be an issue that he needs to take care of.

We all hope that Wells comes back to the Orioles soon, but it’s a good sign that he is performing at the Double-A level and looks comfortable on the mound again.

What are your thoughts on Tyler Wells’ appearances in Bowie? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!

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