May 19, 2026 By Chris Dugan 2 min read

Wild Things manager Tom Vaeth said he wanted to use a six-man pitching rotation this season. That plan has suddenly gone awry for multiple reasons.

One of those reasons is a good one. Righthander Andrew Herbert had his contract purchased Tuesday by the Baltimore Orioles organization, pending a physical.

That comes on the heels of lefty Ethan Brown being put on the 14-day injured list with a knee issue. Brown left his start Sunday against Schaumburg after throwing only 18 pitches.

The 6-6, 230-pound Herbert (2-0) was in his second season with the Wild Things after signing last year out of Reinhardt University, an NAIA school in Georgia, where he had a 31-3 record over his final three seasons.

In his first year with the Wild Things, Herbert moved into the closer’s role. He had a 7-3 record and 12 saves in 30 outings.

In two starts this season, Herbert was terrific, allowing only eight hits in 12 innings. He struck out 11 and walked four. The league was hitting only .195 against Herbert, a native of San Clemente, Calif.

“I’m really happy for Herbie. He earned this,” Vaeth said. “Not only by the way he pitched, but he listened to the advice we gave him. At the end of last year, we told him to come back in the best shape of his life and not to throw a baseball until the start of the new year. His body was tired at the end of last season.

“I’m super happy for him. He’s a kid with a chance to do some things in that organization.

In his last start, a 5-0 Washington win over Schaumburg on Saturday night, Herbert allowed only one hit over seven innings and struck out a career-high nine. He won the Frontier League’s Pitcher of the Week award on Monday.

Herbert is the 52nd Wild Things player to be moved directly to the affiliated minor leagues and the second from his family. Herbert’s brother, Lucas, was a catcher who played for the Wild Things in 2019 before having his contract purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks.