Balester back in Majors for 1st time since 2012
RHP replaces Parra, who goes on DL; Roach also designated
CINCINNATI -- The Reds added a fresh arm to their bullpen on Sunday, recalling right-hander Collin Balester from Triple-A Louisville after left-hander Manny Parra was placed on the disabled list.
Parra has biceps tendinitis in his left shoulder. He is 1-1, 3.24 in 31 relief appearances. The Reds made room for Balester on the 40-man roster by designating right-hander Donn Roach for assignment. Cincinnati had claimed Roach in July after he was placed on waivers by the Chicago Cubs.
Balester, 29, was invited to Spring Training by Pittsburgh as a non-roster player. He made 13 relief appearances for Double-A Altoona (1-0, 1.77) and eight appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis (0-0, 3.07) before having his contract purchased by the Reds on June 19. Balester has pitched in 21 games for Louisville (0-0, 2.05), bringing his combined season ERA to 2.21 with a 0.98 WHIP and .204 opponents' batting average.
The California native spent the first four months of the 2014 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Balester made 22 big league starts and 51 relief appearances for Washington and Detroit from 2008-12 (7-16, 5.30).
Montreal drafted Balester out of high school in the fourth round of the 2004 Draft and Baseball America listed him as the then-relocated Washington Nationals' No. 2 prospect following the 2005 season. He represented Washington in the 2007 Futures Game and made his big league debut with the Nationals in 2008. Washington moved him to a relief role in 2010, and traded him to Detroit for pitcher Ryan Perry in December 2011.
He made Detroit's Opening Day roster in 2012, but was designated for assignment May 23 and signed with Texas before the 2013 season. He pitched one month for Triple-A Round Rock, then went on the disabled list in May and had Tommy John surgery in June.