Doing curls in the weight room isn’t part of outfielder Ramón Laureano’s pregame routine. They aren’t a superstition after he came off the bench unexpectedly and hit two home runs against the Reds. He’s pumped up, but mostly because he’s getting to play.

Colton Cowser fractured his left thumb in the opening series in Toronto. Tyler O’Neill went on the injured list over the weekend with neck inflammation. The Orioles needed Laureano in the lineup, and he responded with seven hits in a span of 24 at-bats.

Laureano doubled twice Monday night against the Yankees and drove in the Orioles’ first run.

“Love him,” said first baseman Ryan O’Hearn, who hit a three-run homer in a 4-3 win. “He’s a competitor. Man, he gets in there and competes. He’s had some big swings for us lately and I can’t say enough good things. We need to keep him going. He’s definitely a spark for us.”

Laureano’s bat couldn't reach a temperature to create one earlier in the season.

The crowd didn’t erupt when Kyle Gibson was introduced and began to warm for tonight’s start at Camden Yards. The moment lacked sentimentality, which was fine with the veteran pitcher and the team that he returned to after signing in March as a free agent.

The Orioles hoped that Gibson could get into the middle innings as they gradually stretched him out. They wanted him to provide some stability and leadership to a rotation that’s torn apart by injuries.

It couldn’t have gone much worse.

The first three Yankees and four of the first five homered off Gibson, and back-to-back doubles put another run on the board before he got the final out. Ten batters came to the plate. A swinging bunt single left Gibson sprawled on the grass, the awkward split looking as painful as the results.

Gibson surrendered another homer in the second and was charged with nine runs in 3 2/3 innings, and the Orioles’ attempt to win back-to-back games for the second time fizzled. A 15-3 loss before an announced crowd of 22,164 lowered their record to 11-18, raised more concerns about their starters and sparked another debate over the exact location of rock bottom.

Gary Sánchez had a soft brace covering his right wrist and hand this afternoon and no clue when he’d be able to ditch it and start playing again.

The Orioles put Sánchez on the 10-day injured list yesterday with inflammation in the wrist caused by a stress reaction.

“It’s been bothering me a little bit for a few weeks now,” he said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Some days it’s doing good and then some days it’s not as well, so I thought it was the best decision to put a stop to it right now and get some rest and recover rather than continue to push through it. I think as I was trying to push through, I wasn’t helping the team as it was, so I think it’s better to get some rest right now, recover and come back ready to go.”

Sánchez is 3-for-30 with four RBIs and 12 strikeouts with the Orioles after signing for $8.5 million. The injury was impacting his at-bats.

“I think at the point of contact in my swing is when I started to feel the discomfort,” he said. “Not necessarily throwing or anything like that, but just with my swing. I really do think that was affecting me.”

Kyle Gibson is back in Baltimore and making his return start tonight with the Orioles.

Gibson was activated onto the roster this afternoon. He made 33 starts in 2023 and went 15-9 with a 4.73 ERA in 192 innings.

The Orioles optioned Kade Strowd, who was recalled yesterday and didn’t pitch, to make room for Gibson.

Gibson is 3-7 with a 5.48 ERA in 13 career starts against the Yankees. Aaron Judge is 1-for-11. Trent Grisham is 3-for-16 with a double. Cody Bellinger is 2-for-15 with two home runs.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is 5-for-14 with a double, triple and homer.

Catcher David Bañuelos made his major league debut last summer, receiving one at-bat, because he was on the taxi squad and the Orioles were forced into an injury-related roster move before first pitch. Bañuelos is on the IL with an oblique strain, but catcher Maverick Handley could get the same opportunity.

Backup Gary Sánchez went to the IL last night with right wrist inflammation. Manager Brandon Hyde described it later as “a little stress reaction in his hand.” The Orioles brought Handley to Baltimore just in case, put him on the taxi squad and selected his contract from Triple-A Norfolk.

Handley celebrated his 27^th birthday last month. He’s spent plenty of time in major league clubhouses since the Orioles chose him in the sixth round of the 2019 draft out of Stanford University. He was a taxi squad regular before Bañuelos became more of a fixture, and he’s received spring training invites.

The No. 98 is more appropriate for a defensive lineman, but Handley is happy to be the first Orioles player to wear it. Now, he just needs to get it into a game.

Sánchez will be out at least 10 days. He’s off to a slow start with three hits in 30 at-bats and he’s struck out 12 times.

All of the same questions came at the Orioles earlier today as local media detached from the team during the road trip got to take turns. Any player approaching his locker was fair game.

What’s wrong and can it be fixed? What’s the mood in the clubhouse? What’s the level of frustration? Is anyone panicked? Should everyone be panicked?

The Orioles insist that they can get on a roll. Seasons aren’t lost in April. Players aren’t melting down over the defeats. Does no good to lose composure and faith.

As if trying to quiet the noise, the Orioles took the field tonight against the first-place Yankees and didn’t lose a game.

Tomoyuki Sugano tossed five scoreless innings with a career-high eight strikeouts, Ryan O’Hearn hit a three-run homer and the Orioles hung on for a 4-3 win before an announced crowd of 22,775 at Camden Yards. The victory is their second in the last eight tries and third in 10. They didn’t forget how to form the congratulatory handshake line.

The Orioles couldn’t make it to first pitch without diving back into their injured list. It’s becoming a daily exercise.

Catcher Gary Sánchez, hit twice by pitches yesterday, went on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation. Infielder Jordan Westburg went on the 10-day IL retroactive to yesterday with a left hamstring strain.

Sánchez, who signed an $8.5 million contract over the winter, is 3-for-30. He caught yesterday while Adley Rutschman received treatment on a sore right hand that kept him out of the lineup. Rutschman is playing tonight after the swelling went down.

Westburg wasn't available yesterday because of the discomfort in his hamstring, which surfaced after he started in both games of Saturday’s doubleheader. He finally began to heat up, collecting nine hits in a stretch of 24 at-bats.

In a corresponding move, catcher Maverick Handley had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk and he’s wearing No. 98. His first appearance will be his major league debut.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde confirmed that veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson will start Tuesday night against the Yankees.

Gibson hasn’t pitched since April 20 at High-A Aberdeen. He experienced some back soreness but is feeling better.

The rotation could use a veteran hand steering it in the right direction. The unit’s 5.83 ERA is last in the American League and 28^th in the majors, and it includes opener Keegan Akin’s 1 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader in Detroit.  

Gibson hasn’t started for the Orioles since Sept. 30, 2023. He pitched three relief innings against the Rangers in the elimination game of the Division Series.

“I hope he can just bring a lot of things, honestly,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I know one thing, he’s gonna compete every single time out and he’s one of the best teammate I’ve ever been around in a clubhouse. He pitched really well for us a couple years ago, had a nice year in St. Louis last year. He kept us in the game more times than not two years ago and was absolutely fantastic.

Adley Rutschman and Cedric Mullins return to the Orioles’ lineup tonight in the series opener against the Yankees at Camden Yards.

Jordan Westburg remains out with a sore hamstring.

Heston Kjerstad is in right field and Ramón Laureano is in left. Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter.

Ramón Urías gets another start at third base, with Jackson Holliday playing second.

Rutschman owns a .416 on-base percentage against the Yankees, third-highest among catchers with a minimum 150 plate appearances, per STATS. Johnny Bassler is first at .433 from 1914-27. Rutschman’s mark is second-highest among active players behind Mike Trout’s .419.

DETROIT – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde doesn’t know whether he can count on Adley Rutschman for tonight’s series opener against the Yankees. The catcher’s swollen right hand makes it hard for Hyde to write his name in the lineup.

Jordan Westburg can add his hamstring to the list of reasons why he’s described as “banged up.” Cedric Mullins has sinus pain that he tried to ignore through 18 innings of Saturday’s doubleheader.

Eleven Orioles are on the injured list when you count pitchers Trevor Rogers and Chayce McDermott, with the latter making his first rehab start yesterday for Double-A Chesapeake and allowing a run with three walks and three strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Catcher Gary Sánchez was hit twice by pitches yesterday and stayed in the game. Maybe the club’s luck is changing.

The rotation doesn’t stay the same.

The Orioles announced that Tomoyuki Sugano will start tonight, as expected, but Cade Povich is moved back to Wednesday. The assumption is that veteran Kyle Gibson will make his grand return to the team on Tuesday.

DETROIT – First baseman Ryan O’Hearn delivered the lineup card to home plate this afternoon. The Orioles couldn’t resort to sacrificing a chicken, especially with the price of eggs, but they needed to change their ways. They had to shed the bad mojo that tampered with their lineup, roster and win total.

They’re open to suggestions, because nothing they’ve tried is working.

Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal struck out 11 batters in six scoreless innings against a lineup missing three regulars, and the Tigers completed their weekend sweep with a 7-0 victory at Comerica Park.

The Orioles (10-17) hadn’t been swept since the Cubs won three games from July 9-11. They’re seven below .500 for the first time since July 4, 2022, and they’ve got the first-place Yankees coming to Baltimore.

“Every night, box scores aren’t going in our favor,” said Dean Kremer. “It’s tough to stay mentally engaged once things kind of start spiraling. But that’s the name of the job and being able to find our way out of that and keeping things positive. We have guys in the clubhouse who are plenty positive and try to pick us up. We’re going to be OK by the end of this.” 

DETROIT – The Orioles will try to avoid a three-game sweep today with Dean Kremer on the mound and Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubel providing the opposition.

It doesn’t get any easier.

Wins might come more regularly if the Orioles can improve their production with runners in scoring position. The Orioles are 6-for-51 with RISP and have left 47 on base since Easter.

The Orioles rank 25th in the majors with a .217 average and 23rd in OPS at .636 with RISP.

The lineup is missing Adley Rutschman, Jordan Westburg and Cedric Mullins. Rutschman was hit on the right hand in Game 2 while blocking a pitch and has some soreness and swelling. Westburg has a sore hamstring that began bothering him yesterday. Mullins has been ill the past few days and played 18 innings yesterday.

DETROIT – Tyler O’Neill tried to play through the neck soreness and had to succumb.

The Orioles put O’Neill on the 10-day injured list yesterday. He’s hoping to be back when eligible to return.

“That’s obviously the goal,” he said last night. “Just, unfortunately, dealing with some pain and immobility for the better part of a week. It’s just better to get it dealt with now and not have it lingering around over the course of the season.

“Hopefully, we can knock it out and be back out there as soon as possible.”

The issue began on the last homestand, leading to O’Neill’s 15^th career trip to the injured list but the first involving his neck.

DETROIT – The bullpen gates swung open and Charlie Morton jogged onto the field, glove tucked under his arm and his routine scrambled. This wasn’t the typical starter’s stroll to the mound to begin warming for the first inning. The 41-year-old Morton was reliving the final game of his rookie season.

Manager Brandon Hyde chose to use Morton in relief after Keegan Akin went 1 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 2 of the doubleheader against the Tigers. Perhaps a change would do him good.

The results were mixed, which leaves unclear the immediate plans for him. The outcome for the Orioles was bad.

Riley Green hit a three-run homer and Morton walked five batters, but he had better results over 3 2/3 innings with the bar lowered in the Orioles’ 6-2 loss to the Tigers that completed the sweep at Comerica Park.

Today’s results left the Orioles with a 10-16 record, the first time they’ve fallen six games below .500 since July 5, 2022. They’re 1-5 going back to Sunday’s Easter egg hurt.

DETROIT – The Orioles began the day with an injury update that removed a second outfielder from the roster. They sent a rookie to the mound for his second major league start in the first game of a doubleheader and watched him walk five batters in two innings.

A tall order against the first-place Tigers kept growing, along with an organization’s collective frustration.

Brandon Young battled through 4 2/3 innings in a 4-3 loss in Game 1 at Comerica Park. He gave the Orioles a chance with a later departure than anticipated and only two runs on the board when he left, but the bullpen had to shoulder another heavy load.

Bryan Baker let his first inherited runner score and the Orioles, unable to win back-to-back games for a second time, fell to 10-15.

Young was charged with three runs to give him a 6.23 ERA in 8 2/3 major league innings. He allowed four hits and struck out six, and his walk total held at five with all of them condensed into 1 2/3.

DETROIT – The Orioles couldn’t wait any longer on Tyler O’Neill.

Prior to today’s doubleheader, the Orioles placed O’Neill on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his neck and recalled outfielder Dylan Carlson from Triple-A Norfolk.

The move is backdated to Thursday and O’Neill is eligible to be reinstated on May 4.

“He’s been dealing with that probably since last week,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“When he’s able to come off the IL, we’re expecting him to not miss any more time.”

Tyler O’Neill is out of the Orioles’ Game 1 lineup today as he continues to receive treatment for neck discomfort.

Outfielder Dylan Carlson is on the taxi squad. He didn’t play yesterday in Triple-A Norfolk’s doubleheader.

Reliever Colin Selby also is on the taxi squad. The Orioles won’t announce their 27^th man until the conclusion of Game 1.

Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle also are on the bench. Jordan Westburg remains the designated hitter. Heston Kjerstad is in left field and Rámon Laureano is in right.

Jackson Holliday is the second baseman.

DETROIT – Charlie Morton is having trouble with the curve.

Game 2 of today’s split doubleheader against the Tigers presents Morton with another opportunity to spin his season in the right direction. He’s gone 0-5 with a 10.89 ERA and 2.226 WHIP in 20 2/3 innings, and the Orioles can’t promise an extended run of starts.

The opponent could provide the cure. Morton hasn’t allowed an earned run to the Tigers in his last 23 2/3 innings, one of the longest streaks against them since 1995, according to STATS. It began in May 2017 and has continued through June 2023. Derek Lowe owns the longest stretch in the Wild Card era at 33 1/3, followed by Mariano Rivera (27 2/3), Jamie Moyer (27), Jon Garland (26) and Sean Lowe (24).

Morton will grasp onto any possible advantage. He’s the third pitcher to go 0-5 with a 10.00 ERA in his first five appearances with a team, per STATS. Jeff Weaver lost his first five starts and posted a 15.35 ERA with the Mariners in 2007 and Jason Marquis was 0-5 with a 14.33 ERA with the Nationals in 2010.

In five starts since signing for $15 million, Morton has allowed 31 hits and 25 runs with 15 walks in 20 2/3 innings. He hadn’t allowed four-plus earned runs in his first five starts in his previous 17 major league seasons, and his 10.89 ERA is the highest over any five-game span in a minimum 20 innings. It’s also the second-highest in a pitcher’s first five starts with the Orioles after Ty Blach’s 11.32 ERA in 2019.

DETROIT - The Orioles won’t begin their three-game series against the Tigers tonight, with the opener postponed due to inclement weather in the forecast.

The teams will play a day-night doubleheader on Saturday. The first game will start at 1:10 p.m., and the second game is scheduled for 6:10 p.m.

So much for a free night.

Neither team posted its lineup today, perhaps in anticipation of the postponement. The tarp is on the field and popup storms are anticipated.

This is the second postponement for the Orioles in 2025. Their April 11 game against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards became part of a split-doubleheader on July 29.

The Orioles have moved on to Detroit, relieved to snap a three-game losing streak and to avoid being swept by the Nationals.

They lost two of three games to the Tigers at Comerica Park last season and two of three at Camden Yards. Their last three-game sweep in Detroit happened in 2004.

They’d settle for a series win, their second in 2025.

The season is 24 games old for the Orioles and they are counting on track records and improved health until perhaps able to make some moves closer to the deadline.

This also would help: