The Minnesota Twins decided enough was enough from Nick Blackburn, who was demoted Wednesday after back-to-back starts of allowing six runs. Replacing him on the roster is right-handed pitcher Casey Fien.
After Tuesday's start, the writing was on the wall.
"We'll talk about (Blackburn's status) over the next day or so, figure out what we're going to do," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters after the game.
Blackburn made 13 starts for the Twins this season and posted a 4-5 record and 8.10 ERA. He had made at least 26 starts for the Twins each of the last four seasons.
Working exclusively as a reliever in Triple-A, Fien posted a 4.30 ERA in 33 appearances. He last appeared in the major leagues for the Detroit Tigers in 2010.
For more on the Tigers, head over to Bless You Boys. For more on the Twins, check out Twinkie Town. And for more MLB news and analysis, visit Baseball Nation.