Kevin Gregg

Kevin Gregg has yielded eight hits and five earned runs through 4 2/3 innings this season.

Gregg has also walked five batters against just two strikeouts and is sporting a 9.64 ERA. It’s safe to wonder whether the 33-year-old right-hander will have a major league job by the middle of this summer.

Kevin Gregg allowed a run in an inning out of the pen Friday against the Red Sox.

Jim Johnson’s early spring injury and subsequent slow start have opened the door for Gregg, but he hasn’t exactly jumped through it while allowing three runs in five innings. The Orioles would still prefer to shed a portion of his salary by trading him.

Kevin Gregg began his spring by giving up a two-run homer to Matt Hague in an inning of work Monday against the Pirates.

Matt Lindstrom wasn’t any better, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and a walk. Gregg gave up two hits and the long ball, but he was at least able to strike out the side. The O’s would probably love to unload the 33-year-old right-hander after he posted a 4.37 ERA and 53/40 K/BB ratio over 59 2/3 innings last season, but that’s unlikely to happen as he’s owed $5.8 million this season. Jim Johnson is the favorite to close games for Baltimore.

The Orioles would eat a portion of the $5.8 million owed to Kevin Gregg this season if they found a willing suitor, according to MASN Sports.

Baltimore won’t consider placing Gregg back in the ninth inning, according to the report. The Orioles could even push him to the seventh inning. Gregg posted a 4.37 ERA last season, though he had a late-season surge when pushed into a low-leverage situation. The veteran was slapped around to the tune of a 1.64 WHIP while producing a 53/40 K/BB rate over 59 2/3 innings.