Blue Jays designate Chien-Ming Wang for assignment

Wang was roughed up for the second straight outing Tuesday, forcing Toronto to cut ties with the veteran.

Jul 3, 2013, 4:56 PM UTC

USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays designated right-hander Chien-Ming Wang for assignment Tuesday night following his rough outing against the Tigers, the team announced. Right-hander Todd Redmond was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo to take the open roster spot.

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Wang, 33, lasted just 40 pitches in his fifth and final start for the Jays. In that span Detroit roughed him up for six runs on eight hits over 1⅓ innings, sending the veteran right-hander to the showers before the third inning for the second consecutive start.

Signed by the Blue Jays as emergency rotation help in June, Wang fared rather well in his first few outings with Toronto. The right-hander posted a solid 2.61 earned-run average in 20⅔ innings over three starts, but then the wheels quickly fell off the bus. Wang was lit up by the Red Sox last week, surrendering seven runs in less than two innings, and continued with more of the same against Detroit on Tuesday. He now owns a much uglier 7.12 ERA in 24 innings.

Once an integral part of the Yankees’ rotation, Wang has fallen on hard times since suffering a serious ankle injury in 2008. The right-hander has thrown just big-league 118⅔ innings over the last four seasons -- putting up a 5.38 ERA in that span -- and spent the first two months of this year with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Toronto wants to keep the right-hander in the organization, but ultimately the decision is up to Wang: he can either opt to accept his assignment to Buffalo, or he can elect free agency. Wang is expected to make his decision sometime Wednesday.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said that the 28-year-old Redmond is likely to start in Wang’s place the next time through the rotation, but what the club’s plans are beyond that is anyone’s guess. Redmond has made just one start in his very brief MLB career, lasting just 3⅓ innings in a 2012 outing with the Reds. The right-hander has allowed seven runs over eight big-league innings overall.