Chayce

McDermott

McDermott worked a scoreless inning against the Angels during Sunday’s blowout victory in his Dodgers debut. The 27-year-old former Orioles pitching prospect was traded to Los Angeles last month after being designated for assignment.

McDermott made eight appearances for the Dodgers at the Triple-A level, posting a 4.32 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and a 16/8 K/BB ratio. He’ll function in a middle relief role for the Dodgers. Charlie Barnes was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move on Sunday.

McDermott will report to Triple-A per Jack Harris. The former top prospect allowed 15 runs in 8 2/3 innings in 2025 and was lost in a roster crunch. Perez, 20, had a 5.48 ERA in the Dominican Summer League last year over 23 innings where he struck out 32 batters.

The Orioles needed room on the 40-man roster for Maverick Handley, and McDermott was deemed expendable. The 27-year-old will hit the waiver wire, and the former (relatively) highly-regarded prospect could see interest as a reclamation project.

McDermott will be a depth piece for Baltimore in 2026. He was hit hard in his limited time with the O’s in 2025 as seen in 15 runs in 8 2/3 innings, but the right-hander isn’t far removed from being considered one of the better pitching prospects in the Orioles’ system.

It’s merely a procedural move at this point with McDermott expected to miss the final week of the regular season with a back issue. The 27-year-old pitching prospect was lit up for a staggering 15 runs over 8 2/3 innings during four appearances (one start) this season at the highest level.

McDermott will miss a minimum of three games and up to a week. Jose Espada was recalled to take McDermott’s place while the latter takes care of more important things than baseball.

McDermott provides Baltimore with some additional long relief depth heading into a three-game series against the White Sox. The 27-year-old pitching prospect last appeared in the big leagues back in late May when he was hit extremely hard in a pair of spot starts. He can be safely ignored in most fantasy formats.

It’s an encouraging update after Kremer was lifted from Friday’s start against the Dodgers with forearm discomfort. The 29-year-old righty doesn’t appear to be dealing with a serious injury, but the Orioles likely won’t take any chances with his health since they’re out of the playoff race with only three weeks left in the season. There should be a final decision on his status for the home stretch at some point in the coming days once he resumes throwing. It’ll likely be a bullpen game to fill his turn in Baltimore’s rotation on Friday against the Blue Jays although prospect Chayce McDermott could potentially be called up to make a spot start.

Chayce McDermott is with the team on the taxi squad and would replace Kremer on the active roster if a trip to the injured list is needed. Expect more clarity on the situation in the coming hours.