Bruce Zimmermann #54

Graduated from Loyola Blakefield High School in Towson, Md. Was a two-sport athlete also playing offensive guard and linebacker in football...Graduated from the University of Mount Olive (N.C.) earning a bachelor's degree in business management. Played his first two seasons (2014-15) at Towson before transferring...Tied the Mount Olive school record with 129 strikeouts in 2017 matching the mark of Carter Capps in 2011. Also recorded four double-digit strikeout games in 2017 including a career-best 17 against Southern Wesleyan (4/7/2017)...Grew up a fan of his hometown Baltimore Orioles and bought his first jersey, an Adam Jones USA Baseball. Became the 28th Maryland-born player to play for the Orioles...Is a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and enjoys golf, duck hunting, fishing, movies, cooking, reading and drawing...His father, Joe, played college baseball at the University of Dallas...Resides in Woodstock, Maryland.

2025

Was signed as a free agent in December 2024 and pitched the majority of the season in Nashville (AAA)...Led the Sounds in innings pitched (138.0), strikeouts (109), games started (21) and tied for wins (10). Closed out games for a career-high two saves...Had his contract selected on 9/20 and made one start for the Brewers at SD (9/23) and took the loss pitching six innings in a 7-0 decision at Petco Park... Released by the Brewers on July 16 from the 40-player roster and signed back to a Minor League contract three days later on July 19.

2024

Missed time in 2024 while on Triple-A Norfolk’s injured list from 5/12-7/2 with a strained right hamstring.

2023

Opened the season with Triple-A Norfolk after being optioned during Spring Training on 3/20. Would be recalled four different times (6/2, 6/24, 7/4 and 9/30) and optioned in-season to the Tides four times (6/9, 7/1, 7/9 and 10/1)...Went 2-0 with a 4.73 ERA (7 ER/13.1 IP) with 17 hits (three HR), two hit batters and 14 strikeouts in seven MLB appearances...Earned his two wins on 6/26 vs. CIN (3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 HBP, 2 K) and 9/30 vs. BOS (2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 SO)...Threw a season-high 3.0 innings in back-to-back appearances on 6/7 and 6/26...Was 4-7 with a 4.42 ERA (49 ER/99.2 IP) with 115 hits (five HR), 56 total runs, 39 walks, two hit batters and 110 strikeouts in 21 starts with the Tides...Tossed his fourth career complete game and third shutout for Norfolk on 6/13 vs. Worcester (9.0 IP, 6 H, BB, 9 K)...Led the Tides in starts (21), strikeouts (110) and quality starts (six).

2022

Made his second straight Opening Day roster; had three stints on the big league roster after being optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on 6/16, 7/10 and 9/6; recalled from the Tides on 7/9, and 9/5...Started the Orioles' fourth game of the season and home opener on 4/11 vs. MIL (4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K); became the fourth Maryland native to start the O's first home game, joining Steve Barber (1964 and 1965), Tom Phoebus (1968), and Dave Johnson (1990) and the first in the 30-year history of Oriole Park at Camden Yards...Began the season with 14.0 scoreless innings before allowing his first run in the sixth inning on 4/22 at LAA; marked the fourth time in team history (since 1954) that an O's starter opened the season with a scoreless streak of at least 14.0 innings and the first since Orioles legend and Hall of Famer Jim Palmer in 1978...Threw a career-high 6.1 innings on 5/24 at NYY...Induced 12 double plays through 6/15, tied for most in the majors with STL's Dakota Hudson during that time...Tied an O's record by allowing five home runs on 5/29 at BOS, joining Jeremy Hellickson (8/18/17 vs. LAA), Mike Mussina (7/1/94 vs. CAL), Jim Palmer (6/22/77 vs. BOS) and Don Larsen (7/19/54 [G2] at BOS); also surrendered four home runs on 5/24 at NYY, tying an MLB record with nine home runs allowed in back-to-back outings with Brooklyn's Hollis Thurston from 8/7(G2)-8/13(G1)/32; became the fifth pitcher in MLB history to yield at least four homers in back-to-back games, joining ARI's Dan Haren (5/21-27/10), CLE's Carl Pavano (7/22-27/09), CIN's Aaron Harang (8/31-9/6/04) and BOS' Pedro Martínez (6/5- 10/98)...Made two relief appearances - 7/9 vs. LAA (1.0 IP, 2 H) and 9/5 (G2) vs. TOR (6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 HR, BB, 3 K); recalled between games on 9/5 after Jordan Lyles was scratched from his game two start...Threw 7.2 scoreless innings on three hits with eight strikeouts on 8/30 vs. Lehigh Valley, his longest outing since a nine-inning complete game shutout for Double-A Bowie on 6/18/19 at Hartford; also completed seven innings for the Tides on 7/3 vs. Gwinnett.

2021

Earned his first Major League win on 4/4 at BOS, his first start of the season (6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, HR, BB, 5 K) ...Joined Steve Johnson (2012) as the only Maryland-born O’s starting pitchers to earn a win at Oriole Park at Camden Yards  with his victory on 6/1 vs. MIN ...As a reliever on 5/16 vs. NYY, he became the fifth Maryland-born Orioles hurler to earn a win at Camden Yards, and first since  Evan Phillips on 8/2/20 vs. TB ...Pitched to a career-high three-game winning streak spanning five appearances (four starts) from 5/16-6/8 ...Made seven appearances (six starts) against the AL East, pitching to a 2-3 record with a 5.12 ERA (18 ER/31.2 IP), .280  opponents’ average (35-for-125), nine walks, 24 strikeouts, and seven home runs ...Had not allowed a hit to the cleanup hitter through his first seven-career appearances, holding them 0-for-13, including 0-for-11  with one walk, and four strikeouts in 2021; his first hit to a number four batter was a single to Matt Olson on 5/2 at OAK, finishing the year holding opposing cleanup hitters to a .194 average against (6-for-31) with one walk, nine strikeouts, and two home runs ...Made seven appearances (six starts) at Oriole Park, in which he went 3-2 with a 4.78 ERA (20 ER/37.2 IP), while pitching to a  1-3 record in seven road starts, with a 6.37 ERA (21 ER/29.2 IP) ...Spent time on the 60-day Injured List with left-bicep tendinitis and a right-ankle sprain from 6/18-9/28 ...Made the Opening Day roster for the first time in his career; had two separate stints on the big league roster.

2020

Made his Major League debut on 9/17 vs. TB (3.0 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 2 HR, BB, 2 K; struck out Nate Lowe in the first inning for his first career strikeout...Became the 28th Maryland-born player to appear in a game in Orioles history (since 1954), and the first native Marylander to debut for the Orioles since RHP Branden Kline on April 20, 2019 in Game 2 of a doubleheader against Minnesota...Struck out a season-high five batters in his second outing of the season on 9/23 at BOS; tied for the most strikeouts by an O's pitcher in relief in 2020...Participated in his first big league Spring Training; made three appearances and posted a 4.70 ERA (4 ER/7.2 IP) and nine strikeouts.

2019

Split the season between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, going a combined 7-6 with a 3.21 ERA (50 ER/140.0 IP) and 134 strikeouts in 24 starts (25 games)...Earned a promotion to Norfolk on 7/28, after posting a 2.58 ERA (29 ER/101.1 IP) in 17 starts (18 games) for Bowie...Finished the season ranking in the organization's top 10 in strikeouts (3rd - 134), games started (T-2nd - 24), complete games (T-1st - 2), shutouts (T-1st - 2), and innings pitched (2nd - 140.0)...Threw his first career shutout 6/18 at Hartford, allowing just four hits while striking out nine batters; the 9.0 innings set a career-high...Tossed his second shutout of the season in his final start for Bowie on 7/22 at Richmond, tossing 7.0 innings and allowing just five hits...Finished the season as the No. 17 Orioles prospect, according to Baseball America.

2018

Spent the season with three different affiliates (Class-A Rome, Double-A Mississippi, and Double-A Bowie)...Combined to make 25 starts and posted a 11-7 record with a 3.21 ERA (48 ER/134.2 IP) and 141 strikeouts...Named a South Atlantic League Mid-Season All-Star, while with Rome...Named SAL Pitcher of the Week on 5/20; 7.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 9 K, GS...Made 14 starts with Rome before being promoted to Mississippi on 6/28...Acquired by the Orioles along with C Brett Cumberland, INF Jean Carlos Encarnacíon, and RHP Evan Phillips from the Braves for RHP Kevin Gausman, RHP Darren O'Day, and International Signing Bonus Slots on 7/31...Assigned to Double-A Bowie following the trade...Tossed his first career complete game on 8/12 at Hartford, a 5.0 inning outing in which he received the win.

2017

Spent his first professional season with Rookie Level Danville, making 11 starts for the Braves and posting a 3.09 ERA (8 ER/23.1 IP)...Struck out at least one batter in all 11 of his appearances.