Levi Stoudt joined his third professional organization last week. The Baltimore Orioles claimed the Marlborough native off waivers on June 13 from the Seattle 

Levi Stoudt

Mariners, who designated him for assignment.

            Stoudt, who made his Major League debut last season, finds himself back in Double-A. He has been assigned to the Bowie Baysox in the Eastern League.

            The 2016 Perkiomen School graduate will begin a shift to the bullpen with his new organization. Stoudt expects to debut in relief with the Baysox this weekend against the Altoona Curve, a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate.

            A homecoming of sorts could occur for Stoudt in Reading next week. The Baysox are scheduled to kick off a six-game series against the Fightin' Phillies on Tuesday at FirstEnergy Stadium.

            Stoudt was claimed by the Orioles after they transferred John Means, a left handed starting pitcher, to the 60-day injured list.  He was initially assigned to the Norfolk Tides, their Triple-A affiliate. The big league team also placed the Lehigh University product on its 40-man roster.

            Stoudt was going to pitch for the Tides as a starting pitcher. However, an organizational decision to move him to the bullpen facilitated a shift to Bowie, a 35-minute car ride from Baltimore.

            "I'm willing to do whatever will keep me in the big leagues," said Stoudt, who was officially assigned to the Double-A team Sunday, June 16. "The Orioles have already identified some ways to help me."

            Stoudt described the decision by the Mariners to remove him from their 40-man roster as inevitable. He woke up June 9 to a missed call on his cell phone from a team executive.   "As soon as I saw it, I knew I was getting DFA'd," said Stoudt, who tossed 10 1/3 innings for the Cincinnati Reds last season after debuting April 19, 2023, against the Tampa Bay Rays. "I was prepared for it. I knew that I wasn't pitching well."

            The pitcher struggled during 12 appearances this season, including 11 starts, with Triple-A Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League. In 52 innings, Stoudt recorded only 36 strikeouts and posted a 6.92 ERA with a 3-4 record.

            In his final start for the Rainiers on June 8, he allowed six runs on six hits. The team posted a 9-6 victory over the Reno Aces, but Stoudt did not factor in the decision.

            This season, his average fastball velocity dropped to between 92-94 mph. Stoudt limited his pitch repertoire, relying mostly on a fastball and a slider.

            "Looking back, I feel like I was setting myself up for failure by doing that," said Stoudt, who last pitched in Double-A two seasons ago in the Reds' and Mariners' organizations.

            Working out of the bullpen, Stoudt hopes to expand his pitch use, including the Vulcan changeup he previously lost confidence in. The pitcher – who threw a bullpen last weekend at the Orioles' pitching lab, located on the third floor of a Bel Air, Md. hospital – also expects to increase his fastball velocity.

            "I'm looking forward to pitching an inning at a time and being able to empty the tank," Stoudt said.