The Orioles have reached their third off-day in a 15-day span before playing 13 games in a row. They returned to .500 yesterday by rebounding from the sweep in Pittsburgh and winning three times in Chicago.

Proof again that a team is capable of heating up in frigid temperatures.

Also, the White Sox look like they’re pretty bad.

Here are a few observations as the Orioles climb the American League East standings.

The rotation might finally become more settled.

It’s a work in progress.

Zach Eflin’s elbow injury ensured that the Orioles would be making changes after just one turn. Brandon Young was recalled to start Monday in Chicago, where he tossed five scoreless innings, but the Orioles optioned him to make room for left-hander reliever Nick Raquet. Cade Povich is listed for Sunday against the Giants at Camden Yards, after he tossed 5 2/3 relief innings against the Pirates and allowed two runs.

Dean Kremer started last night for Triple-A Norfolk, his second outing since the Orioles optioned him. He could be ready to return now that they’re approaching their first extended stretch of games.

The Orioles might actually have the exact rotation that so many of us projected – Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Kremer. And we’re reminded again that teams don’t have too many starters or too much pitching.

These things have a way of working themselves out.

Baz’s ERA increased in between starts.

A scoring change from April 4 has left Baz with an earned run, according to @ScoringChanges, which seems like a reliable source.

Baz was charged with an error in the bottom of the fourth inning after misplaying Bryan Reynolds’ bouncer near the mound. Reynolds scored on Spencer Horwitz’s sacrifice fly.

The play was changed to a hit and Baz’s ERA rose from 3.27 to 4.09

The bullpen also is a work in progress.

Andrew Kittredge and Keegan Akin were supposed to be doing high leverage work but they went on the 15-day injured list before Opening Day. Yaramil Hiraldo and Dietrich Enns have joined them.

Povich worked in long relief in Pittsburgh but he’s at least a temporary starter. The Orioles were down to one available left-hander in the bullpen before trading for Raquet.

This is just the beginning. The churn is going to shake the warehouse again.

Manager Craig Albernaz is placing a lot of trust in Anthony Nunez.

You could argue that he doesn’t have much choice. He can’t stash inexperienced relievers. It’s all hands on deck.

However, Nunez isn’t the last man standing when called on in close games. Albernaz has choices and he still goes with Nunez, who made the club after Akin’s injury and after the Orioles optioned him in camp.

Nunez couldn’t hold a one-run lead in the eighth inning against the Pirates because of a fielding mishap. He atoned by striking out his only batter in the eighth inning Tuesday to strand an inherited runner and retired the side in order yesterday, also in the eighth.

Notice a pattern here?

Nunez struck out Reese McGuire on a 97.1 mph fastball, looked up and gave thanks as he walked off the mound.

It was Nunez’s fifth major league appearance. There will be many more, and often in clutch situations.

A decision on Jackson Holliday is getting closer, but how close?

Holliday began his rehab assignment with Norfolk on March 27. The Orioles will need to figure out how to create a spot for him on their active roster, a task that they’ll happily tackle.

That doesn’t mean that the corresponding move is going to be easy, or that they aren’t sympathetic to the player who gets bumped.

Outfielder Leody Taveras is out of options. Infielder/outfielder Jeremiah Jackson is not. Maybe it’s someone else who gets sent down. Maybe another player suffers an injury, since, again, these things have a way of working themselves out.

“Delivering news to any player is hard. It’s the toughest part about the job,” Albernaz said yesterday in his pregame media scrum.

“With players and the way I operate, it’s just the truth. You can’t tip-toe around it. You’ve got to tell them the truth. And also, you want to hear their thoughts. Like, where are they at right now with baseball in their development curve, and how can we help and support them to get back to the big leagues? And that’s the biggest thing.”

Holliday started again at second base last night as he continues his comeback from hamate bone surgery in his right hand/wrist, but he told The Virginian-Pilot, “I’d be lying if I said it felt 100 percent, but it’s kind of just part of it.”

The top of the lineup isn’t set in stone.

It took 12 games for Albernaz to flip-flop Taylor Ward and Gunnar Henderson. And 12 games for Adley Rutschman to move up to third and Pete Alonso to be lowered to fourth.

Ward and Henderson weren’t broke, but Albernaz did some tinkering anyway.

They’re going to hit wherever Albernaz puts them. Three more doubles yesterday gave Ward nine for the season, most in the majors. He said in his MASN walk-off interview that he’d bat eighth or ninth if asked to do it. It doesn’t matter.

Nice thought, but he won’t be lowered that much.

“The same four hitters are hitting at the top,” Albernaz said pregame. “It’s just, it’s something that we were talking about internally, what that would look like. And also, we’ve kind of been seeing how teams have been deploying their bullpen against us. And then also, the emergence of the bottom of our order, too, with Blaze (Alexander) and J.J. down there and what Coby (Mayo) can do.

“I talked to all four of them yesterday and all four of them said the same thing. They don’t care where they hit. As long as they’re in the lineup.”

Albernaz also noted how teams are game-planning for Henderson with using their left-handed relievers.

“And now it’s kind of like, all right, let’s hit Gunnar at the top and see what it looks like,” Albernaz said.

The ABS system has its own challenges.

The Orioles are working to get the hang of it, just like every other team in the majors. The results are mixed.

It giveth and taketh away.

Mayo used the last one yesterday in the sixth inning. He appealed in the second inning Saturday, and the Orioles ran out again after Gunnar Henderson’s unsuccessful challenge in the ninth.

Closer Ryan Helsley wanted to challenge a 2-2 pitch to Nick Yorke that was called a ball, and he would have won, except the team was out of attempts.

Yorke lined the next pitch over Dylan Beavers for a walk-off double.

The Orioles were 12-for-15 going into Saturday’s game to lead the majors at 80 percent. They deserve credit. But Albernaz would like his club to have at least one challenge going into the ninth.

Rico Garcia is an All-Star.

Do not snub this man.

First major league save yesterday. Six consecutive scoreless and hitless appearances to begin the season, three short of Yennier Cano’s club record.

Extend him!