MLB notebook: Former Orioles pitcher Stewart found dead
Former Baltimore Orioles reliever Sammy Stewart was found dead Friday at a residence in Hendersonville, N.C., the organization announced Saturday. He was 63.
"There will be an autopsy to determine the cause of death," Major Frank T. Stout of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office told the Baltimore Sun. "He could have had a heart attack or a related issue. We knew he had struggled with addiction. But we don't know at this point."
The right-hander went 59-48 with a 3.59 ERA in 359 appearances (25 starts) during his career. Stewart, who also pitched for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians during a major league career from 1978-87, fell on hard times after his baseball career ended.
Two of his children died from cystic fibrosis -- a son at age 11 in 1991 and a daughter at age 34 in 2016. He also struggled with drug addiction and committed various crimes that led to spending six years and eight months in jail.
--Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed reliever Tom Koehler will be sidelined to start the season after being diagnosed with a strain in his right shoulder.
Koehler, 31, said he would start the season on the disabled list and could miss weeks or months after being diagnosed with a mild strain of the anterior shoulder capsule. He sustained the injury in a Friday game against the Chicago White Sox.
After posting a 1-5 record with a 7.92 ERA in 12 starts with the Miami Marlins in 2017, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in August and converted to a reliever, going 0-2 with a 2.65 ERA in 14 relief appearances and one start.
--The Blue Jays signed free agent right-hander Nick Tepesch to a minor league contract.
Tepesch was acquired by Toronto last July when the Minnesota Twins dealt him for cash considerations. He made just three starts with the Blue Jays in 2017, going 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA over 14 innings.
In 47 career games (44 starts) with the Texas Rangers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Twins and the Blue Jays, the 29-year-old Tepesch has a 10-20 record with a 4.71 ERA.
--Field Level Media
