T.J. McFarland’s five shutout inning relief outing in the Orioles’ 4-2 loss to the Royals on Friday night preserved the team’s bullpen, giving the Orioles some hope of salvaging their three-game weekend series at Kauffman Stadium.
And the reward McFarland, whose 66 pitches were the most he’s thrown in relief in 22 months, will likely receive on Saturday is a trip to Triple-A Norfolk.
The Orioles will activate left-handed Brian Matusz off the disabled list on Saturday, and McFarland will likely be optioned to make room for Matusz.
McFarland was likely to be used Friday if there was a long relief need, but when right-hander Yovani Gallardo left Friday’s game after just two innings with shoulder discomfort, McFarland was pushed into service earlier than anticipated.