masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgABERDEEN, Md. – The short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds released their season-opening roster this afternoon – even though there will not be a season opener tonight.
Their scheduled game with Hudson Valley was rained out at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium and the opener is now set for tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Orioles closer Zach Britton, who was scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment here tonight, is now scheduled to pitch here on Tuesday night. If the original plan holds then…

ABERDEEN, Md. – The short-season Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds released their season-opening roster this afternoon – even though there will not be a season opener tonight.

Their scheduled game with Hudson Valley was rained out at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium and the opener is now set for tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Orioles closer Zach Britton, who was scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment here tonight, is now scheduled to pitch here on Tuesday night. If the original plan holds then he will start the game and throw one inning.

A look at the IronBirds roster:

Pitchers: Brandon Bonilla, Layne Bruner, Javier Echevarria, Ruben Garcia, Nick Gruener, Hector Guance, Brenan Hanifee, Nick Jobst, Joe Johnson, Jon Keller, Max Knutson, Zach Matson, Tobias Myers, Willie Rios, James Teague, Nick Vespi.

Catchers: Jean Carrillo, Alfredo Gonzalez, Ronny Soto.

Infielders: Branden Becker, Garrett Copeland, Seamus Curran, Carlos Diaz, Chris Johnson, Kirvin Moesquit, Irving Ortega, Ryan Ripken, Alex Torres.

Outfielders: Jaylen Ferguson, Tristan Graham, Jason Heinrich, Markel Jones, Jose Paez.

Pitcher Andrew Bellatti and outfielder Daniel Franco are on the roster but don’t count against the 35-player limit as players on the 60-day disabled list. Keller and Johnson do not either, as players here in on rehab assignment.

britton-sets-orange-sidebar.jpgBritton has been on the disabled list for the second time retroactive to May 5 with a left forearm strain. He threw 22 pitches in a simulated game last Thursday at Single-A Frederick. Gruner, a 22nd-round draft pick in 2016 from Harvard, is expected to pitch Tuesday after Britton.

Ripken is the son of the IronBirds owner and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. The Orioles drafted him in round 20 out of the Gilman School in Baltimore in 2012, but he did not sign and went to college at the University of South Carolina. He was drafted by the Nationals in round 15 in 2014. But he was released in March and signed with the Orioles. A lefty-hitting first baseman, he is a career .205/.248/.277 hitter in three minor league seasons.

The IronBirds rotation in order will be Gruener, Vespi, Hanifee, Myers and Guance. The starters are expected to pitch four to five innings each, throwing 60 to 75 pitches. Most have been pitching in extended spring training leading up to the start of the New York-Penn League season.

Kevin Bradshaw returns as Aberdeen’s manager with Tim Raines Jr. as hitting coach, Mark Hendrickson the pitching coach and Ramon Sambo the field coach.