Kade Strowd was hesitant to talk about it. The 96 mph sinker last night that crashed into the side of George Springer’s batting helmet in the ninth inning. The collective gasp from fans and the silence as Springer stayed face-down in the dirt.

Strowd eventually told the media this morning that he would speak about the incident, but it still shook him.

Springer is OK. Strowd has to move on but remains impacted by it.

“The one pitch, lost control,” he said. “It was my first sinker of the day. Just lost that one up and in. Part of the game but you hate to see somebody, especially like George, go down like that, so hope he’s all right.”

Strowd walked toward Springer and later crouched at the mound.

Colin Selby became the 27^th different Orioles player to go on the injured list, tossing a scoreless inning last night and being sidelined today with a left hamstring strain. Selby will undergo an MRI this morning.

Yaramil Hiraldo was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk after the Orioles optioned him yesterday.

The Orioles are playing a day-night doubleheader as a makeup for an April 11 postponement. Charlie Morton is starting Game 1 this afternoon, and Brandon Young will start or work in bulk relief in Game 2 after being summoned as the 27^th man.

Former Orioles minor league left-hander Easton Lucas is starting Game 1 for Toronto, and left-hander Eric Lauer is starting Game 2.

Morton could be making his last start with the Orioles, with the trade deadline 6 p.m. Thursday. He allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings in Cleveland after surrendering seven over 5 1/3 in Tampa.

The Orioles used their 95th lineup last night in their 106^th game. Catcher Adley Rutschman was reinstated from the injured list and batted cleanup for the fifth time, and the first since May 18.

There seems to be some interest from interim manager Tony Mansolino in going with a top four of Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Gunnar Henderson and Rutschman You can read between the lines or just focus on the actual lines.

“I’m fascinated by sticking (Rutschman) in that four hole, kind of sitting behind Gunnar, having a switch-hitter sitting right there, and the effect of that on Gunnar and just trying to navigate our lineup if all four of those guys at the top are cooking and fulfilling and reaching their potential,” Mansolino said during his afternoon media session.

“It's an absolute dynamic four hitters. And the guys behind them are pretty good, too.”

Ryan O’Hearn has batted cleanup 48 times, easily the most on the team. Ryan Mountcastle is next at 17. O’Hearn was slotted fifth last night and Laureano sixth.

Adley Rutschman celebrated his return to the Orioles tonight. If Cedric Mullins passes him going the other way, he’s doing it with a bang.

Mullins and Coby Mayo hit back-to-back home runs in the second inning, Rutschman broke a tie with a two-run double in the third, and the Orioles kept unloading on Blue Jays pitching to win their third game in a row, 11-4, before an announced crowd of 20,176 at Camden Yards.

Zach Eflin lasted only 4 1/3 innings in what could be his last game with the Orioles, who improved to 48-58 with the trade deadline arriving at 6 p.m. Thursday. The Blue Jays have the best record in the majors at 63-44 but are 26-27 on the road.

Eflin wasn’t sharp and his luck wavered, but the Orioles supported him in every possible way. Runs were plentiful, and Mullins made a leaping catch at the center field fence to rob Nathan Lukes of a game-tying two-run homer in the fourth. Eflin stood frozen, the same look of disbelief that Trevor Rogers wore on Saturday after Mullins’ diving grab, and raised his cap.

Mullins landed with his back against the fence and with knees bent, as if sitting on an imaginary chair. He tossed the ball underhand to Ramón Laureano, who raced over from right field, and they jogged back to the dugout. One of them received a standing ovation.

An MRI on closer Félix Bautista’s right shoulder was inconclusive, but he’s going to remain unavailable for a considerable period.

Bautista went on the 15-day injured list after throwing a season-high 34 pitches on July 20 in Tampa and experiencing a decline in velocity.

“There’s a lot of swelling in the shoulder, can’t quite make a determination quite yet or diagnose it,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “Once the swelling goes down enough to scan it again, then we’ll have more information, and that’s gonna be probably more weeks than days.”

Bautista underwent elbow reconstructive surgery in October 2023 and didn’t pitch again until 2025. He hasn’t recaptured the triple-digit heat that was common during his All-Star season, but he recorded 19 saves in 20 chances and had a 2.60 ERA in 35 games. He struck out 50 batters in 34 2/3 innings but also walked 23.

The need for a closer lessens with the Orioles in last place and approaching the trade deadline as sellers, but they want to remain competitive, and their options are limited with Bryan Baker dealt to the Rays and Gregory Soto to the Mets. Seranthony Domínguez and Andrew Kittredge also are trade possibilities.

The Orioles could peel more players off their roster this week, but they’ve added two from the injured list.

Catcher Adley Rutschman (oblique) and reliever Keegan Akin (shoulder) were reinstated this afternoon, as expected. The Orioles designated catcher Jacob Stallings for assignment and optioned right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo to Triple-A Norfolk.

The 40-man roster has 38 players.

The Blue Jays are in town for a four-game series, including Tuesday’s split doubleheader. Rutschman is expected to catch for the first time since June 19 in Tampa. He has a .993 OPS in 47 career games against Toronto, the highest by any catcher all-time in a minimum 175 plate appearances, according to STATS.

Tyler O’Neill has homered in three consecutive games. Yesterday’s homer had an exit velocity of 113.6 mph, the hardest of his career.

The trade deadline is 6 p.m. Thursday and I’m told that MASN is a seller only when it comes to me. Make them an offer.

A reporter-to-be-named later or cash considerations should get it done.

A straight-up for Chad Bradford is being discussed, according to an industry source with direct knowledge. He actually was at the ballpark over the weekend to sign autographs. At least, that's their story. I'm still suspicious. 

Players wonder how much the roster is going to change in the next few days. They try to block it out, but how is that possible? Relievers Bryan Baker and Gregory Soto already left and others are going to follow. They know it.

“Definitely a new experience for me, because the past two years, we’ve obviously won a lot more games,” said shortstop Gunnar Henderson. “Definitely a new experience. It’s a weird one, because obviously, don’t know who, when or if. It’s just kind of a crappy situation.

Tomoyuki Sugano made his 20^th major league start today, unsure whether No. 21 will come with the Orioles.

Sugano is a trade possibility with the deadline four days away. He didn’t treat this afternoon’s game as an audition for scouts. He wanted to give the Orioles a chance to win the series, the job he’s paid to perform. What happens next will reveal itself later.

Dylan Carlson moved the Orioles ahead in the second inning with a two-run single, Tyler O’Neill homered for the third day in a row, and Sugano tied his major league high with eight strikeouts in a 5-1 victory over the Rockies before an announced crowd of 16,407 at Camden Yards.

Sugano held the Rockies to one run and four hits in six innings for his eighth quality start, and the Orioles are 47-58 with the first-place Blue Jays coming to town.

O’Neill’s two-run shot off Austin Gomber in the third traveled 433 feet to left field. His home run total has grown to six, with good health allowing him to get extra work in the cage and fix his swing.

The Orioles have multiple roster moves coming that aren’t tied to the trade deadline.

Catcher Adley Rutschman is expected to be in Monday night’s lineup against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards, and left-hander Keegan Akin should be in the bullpen. Their injury rehab assignments with Triple-A Norfolk ended last night.

Rutschman caught in back-to-back games to check the final box. He went 2-for-15 with a double, but plate results didn’t influence his timeline.

Jacob Stallings or Alex Jackson will be the corresponding move for Rutschman. Jackson is in today’s lineup. Stallings caught Trevor Rogers last night, when the left-hander tossed seven scoreless innings and gave up just one hit.

Akin retired both batters faced last night, and he can give the Orioles a second left-handed reliever with Grant Wolfram. Yaramil Hiraldo was recalled yesterday and retired the side in order in the eighth inning. Corbin Martin, Colin Selby and Kade Strowd also are in the ‘pen.

Jordan Westburg is leading off and playing second base for today’s series finale against the Rockies. Jackson Holliday is on the bench.

Coby Mayo is at first base, pretty much assured against left-handed starters. Dylan Carlson is in left field, Ramón Laureano is in right and Tyler O’Neill is the designated hitter.

Colton Cowser and Ryan O'Hearn join Holliday on the bench. 

Tomoyuki Sugano makes his 20^th major league start. He’s posted a 4.54 ERA and 1.350 WHIP in 103 innings.

Sugano had a 3.00 ERA through April, but a 3.48 ERA in five starts in May, but he registered a 6.20 ERA, 1.743 WHIP and .330 opponents’ average in five June starts and has allowed 12 earned runs (13 total) and 20 hits this month in 14 1/3 innings over three outings.

Cedric Mullins must rely on his own organization to feel the love for his glove.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino spoke again yesterday about “the eye test,” just as his predecessor always did. Just as most people do who watch him on a nightly basis.

Mansolino praised Mullins yesterday while the metrics continued to pummel him. The Fielding Bible calculated his defensive runs saved (DRS) at minus-17, the worst of his career, the worst in baseball. And then, Mullins bolted into left-center field in the third inning, the angle taking him toward the fence, and laid out to snag Orlando Arcia’s 105 mph line drive.

Statcast calculated the catch probability at 75 percent. Mullins, it seems, can’t catch a break.

He could scale the warehouse and break glass to rob a home run and be downgraded for the angle.

The trade deadline can’t touch Trevor Rogers and Tyler O’Neill. They aren’t on expiring contracts. They aren’t expected to go anywhere except on the team charter.

Cedric Mullins is a pending free agent and could be moved. Fans seem to be cheering him a little louder these days. Twice tonight, for sure.

The Orioles didn’t make any deals and all three players, controllable and vulnerable, stepped up in an 18-0 thrashing of the Rockies, which set the club record for largest shutout win. The previous mark was 17-0 against the White Sox on July 27, 1969.

Rogers allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings, retiring 20 of 22 batters. O’Neill hit his second homer in two nights, a two-run shot off Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela, and reached base four times. Mullins made a spectacular diving catch and belted a three-run homer. And the Orioles evened the series before an announced crowd of 20,188 at Camden Yards.

Thirteen batters came to the plate in a nine-run seventh, with Gunnar Henderson doubling twice and driving in two and Coby Mayo contributing a walk and two-run double off the bench, and the Orioles improved to 46-58. Kyle Farmer went from designated hitter to emergency pitcher in the eighth and Alex Jackson greeted him with a pinch-hit homer.

The Orioles returned to having eight relievers in their bullpen today by optioning infielder Jeremiah Jackson and recalling right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo.

Hiraldo made his major league debut on May 27 against the Cardinals and tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings in his lone appearance.

Grant Wolfram remains the only left-hander in the ‘pen, but interim manager Tony Mansolino expects Keegan Akin to be reinstated from the injured list on Monday. Akin is pitching again tonight with Triple-A Norfolk.

Ryan O’Hearn is back at first base tonight and Coby Mayo heads to the bench after homering last night.

O’Hearn turns 32 today. He could become the third Oriole to homer on his birthday in the last 10 years after Ramón Urias last summer and Matt Wieters in 2016.

Winning matters to Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino and the players who remain in the clubhouse. Time cards aren’t punched. Flight reservations aren’t made in advance. They intend to compete every night.

The games still count.

It’s just a whole lot harder to claim them.

This is the life of a seller, a role which the Orioles haven’t portrayed in the past few years. They didn’t expect to do it in 2025, but they were torn apart again by injuries, underperformed, fired their manager and eventually began to make trades that wouldn’t impact the club this year or probably next.

Bryan Baker going to the Rays brought back the 37^th-overall pick in the draft, who became Oregon prep outfielder and aspiring musician Slater de Brun. “Lil Slayyy” will have his dayyy, but it won’t be anytime soon.

Being sellers doesn’t always equate to being losers. A team can hit four home runs in the first two innings and pretend that stripping the roster of key players isn’t a detriment.

And it can blow a lead and fall to the worst team in baseball, a reminder of why the front office is punting on 2025.

The Rockies overcame a four-run deficit, were tied in the seventh and got a solo homer from Ezequiel Tovar off Andrew Kittredge in the eighth to defeat the Orioles 6-5 before an announced floppy hat crowd of 25,090 at Camden Yards.

Alex Jackson doubled against reliever Jake Bird with one out in the seventh and scored the tying run on Jackson Holliday’s single. Kittredge entered in the eighth, struck out his first batter and surrendered his fourth homer in 28 appearances. Two more Rockies struck out.

"That's a bitter one right there," said interim manager Tony Mansolino. "It feels like here lately we've thrown up some good numbers early in games on that last road trip, and we just haven't been able to hang on. Part of that is pitching and part of that is not adding more runs as the game goes on. We have to add more runs. We had a couple spots we could have. We didn't get it done, unfortunately, tonight. Got to add more runs and got to hold leads."

Another reliever walked out the door today when the Orioles traded Gregory Soto to the Mets for minor league pitchers Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster. Seranthony Domínguez knows that he could be the next one.

The bullpen is a hot spot in trade discussions.

Domínguez and Soto came to the Orioles is separate trades with the Phillies last summer, the latter on deadline day. Domínguez texted Soto earlier today after receiving the news.

“It’s part of the business,” Domínguez said. “We do what we have to do. I wish him the best and good luck to him.

“It’s hard when you get traded. You’ve got to move from somewhere to another (place) and get new teammates. But I wish the best for him and wait for what happens.”

The Orioles are selecting infielder Jeremiah Jackson’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk and will be short one reliever after trading left-hander Gregory Soto to the Mets.

Jackson, 25, is batting a combined .311/.340/.538 with 30 doubles, 15 home runs and 41 RBIs in 83 games between Norfolk and Double-A Chesapeake. He’s never played in the majors.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino said he won't have an update on closer Félix Bautista (shoulder) until next week.

The Orioles return to Camden Yards for a six-game homestand that begins with three against the Rockies.

Gunnar Henderson is on the bench. He’s leading the Orioles in hits, doubles and triples for the second straight season. Brooks Robinson was the last player in franchise history to do it in consecutive seasons from 1960-62, per STATS.

The Orioles acquired reliever Gregory Soto at last year’s trade deadline. Today, they’ve moved him to another team.

Soto is going to the Mets for a pair of pitching prospects, according to a source.

The left-hander is the second player moved after reliever Bryan Baker, traded to the Rays on July 10 for the 37^th-overall pick in the draft. The Orioles will receive 20-year-old right-hander Wellington Aracena and 26-year-old right-hander Cameron Foster in exchange for Soto.

Aracena is the Mets’ No. 19 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. The Dominican native had a 2.38 ERA and 1.135 WHIP in 17 games (eight starts) with Single-A St. Lucie in the Florida State League. He didn’t surrender a home run in 64 1/3 innings and averaged 4.9 walks and 11.8 strikeouts.

Over four minor league seasons, Aracena has a 4.53 ERA and 1.497 WHIP in 57 games (34 starts) and has walked 123 batters and struck out 214 in 173 innings. He’s surrendered only six home runs.

Make it 26.

That’s how many different Orioles have gone on the injured list this season, two more than the total in 2021, seven more than in 2012 and 2008, and nine more than in 2024, 2018 and 2015. And we’re not taking into account the repeat visitors like Tyler O’Neill, Zach Eflin and Gary Sánchez.

Félix Bautista became the 26^th yesterday, retroactive to Monday, with right shoulder discomfort. The only good news is that his surgically-repaired elbow is fine.

Trying to put a positive spin on 2025 can create shoulder and elbow pain. What else can possibly go wrong?

Don’t answer.

The Orioles have signed all of their 2025 draft picks within the first 10 rounds.

The overall total grew to 14 out of 24 today with center fielder Slater de Brun, the 37^th selection out of Summit High School in Oregon.

de Brun, 18, was the fourth of seven first-day picks for the Orioles, and his selection was lauded by the draft media experts. He batted .370/.586/.603 with nine doubles, one triple, two home runs, 26 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in 29 games during his senior season.

The Oregon native is a left-handed hitter, 65-grade runner and 60-grade fielder, and the Corbin Carroll comps were prevalent leading up to the draft.

Only one of them can claim to be an aspiring musician who goes by Lil Slayyy” and has put out country singles like "Break My Heart" and "Find me a Bar.” de Brun can afford to buy a round for the house, but he isn’t old enough to partake.