With a right-hander opposing the Orioles tonight, Henry Urrutia has returned to the lineup as the designated hitter in his second major league start.
Urrutia is batting eighth, as he did in Saturday's debut. He's 1-for-5 with an RBI in two games.
For the Orioles
Nate McLouth LF
Manny Machado 3B
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Chris Davis 1B
Matt Wieters C
J.J. Hardy SS
Henry Urrutia DH
Brian Roberts 2B
Scott Feldman RHP
For the Royals
Alex Gordon LF
Eric Hosmer 1B
Billy Butler...
Outfielder Dariel Alvarez, who defected from Cuba last summer, took his physical today in Baltimore after agreeing to terms with the Orioles last week.
The Orioles haven't announced Alvarez's signing, but he told MLB.com that he would receive an $800,000 bonus.
The Orioles signed another Cuban outfielder, Henry Urrutia, for $778,500 after he finally arrived in the U.S. in late February. Urrutia agreed to terms in July 2012, but was detained in Haiti while waiting for his work...
The Orioles begin a four-game series tonight in Kansas City, where Scott Feldman is 3-1 with a 2.72 ERA in 10 career appearances, including five starts.
Manager Buck Showalter moved Feldman ahead of Jason Hammel in the rotation following the All-Star break.
Alex Gordon is 6-for-15 with a double and triple against Feldman. Billy Butler is 5-for-24 with a home run.
J.J. Hardy is 8-for-22 with three doubles against Royals starter Wade Davis. Matt Wieters is 8-for-23 with two doubles.
Wieters...
Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman understands how the West was won.
Tillman began tonight with a career 10-1 record and 2.03 ERA in 12 starts against the American League West, and he's leading 4-1 as the game moves to the bottom of the seventh inning.
Tillman is trying to produce the Orioles' seventh quality start in the last eight games. He hasn't dominated tonight, but he's held the Rangers to one run so far.
In three career starts in Arlington, including tonight, Tillman has allowed...
Does Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts look more comfortable at the plate these days?
Roberts is 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored tonight, and 4-for-6 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored in the last two games.
Roberts is 6-for-14 in his last five games. He's collected hits in six of the last nine, raising his average to .266.
Ryan Flaherty is going to have all sorts of trouble getting off the bench with Roberts in a groove and Henry Urrutia on the roster.
Roberts doubled...
Nate McLouth is leading off tonight against a left-hander, the Rangers' Martin Perez, rather than moving down the order and surrendering the top spot to Nick Markakis.
Manager Buck Showalter could be playing a hunch - or the hot hand.
McLouth led off with a single tonight, making him 6-for-14 in his last four games. He has a double, triple, RBI and three runs scored during the streak.
Third baseman Manny Machado wore his batting gloves for his first at-bat last night, then took them off...
Chris Davis remains at first base for the Orioles tonight after fouling a ball off his right ankle last night and playing in obvious pain.
Henry Urrutia is on the bench against Rangers left-hander Martin Perez, with Danny Valencia serving as the designated hitter.
Since June 25, 2012, Chris Tillman is 20-6 and has the second-highest winning percentage (.769) among American League starters, trailing only Max Scherzer (23-3, .885). Tillman is 8-1 in 10 starts since May 24, tying him with...
The Orioles are playing a rare Sunday night game, which gives manager Buck Showalter more time to craft his lineup.
He's probably got a few already made out. That's the norm with Showalter.
The Rangers are sending another southpaw to the mound: Martin Perez, who gave up two earned runs (four total) in six innings July 9 at Camden Yards. Left-handers are batting .286 against him, compared to .257 by right-handers.
Consider that stat, and factor in Henry Urrutia's success against...
Two trips to the plate, two bases-loaded situations.
Henry Urrutia's first major league game tonight has been anything but dull.
Urrutia lined a single off Rangers left-hander Joseph Ortiz with no outs in the top of the third inning for his first major league hit and RBI, increasing the Orioles' lead to 5-0.
Ortiz, who replaced starter Ross Wolf, threw two straight sliders. Urrutia fouled off the first one and pulled the second one into left field to score Chris Davis, who remains in the...
Orioles left fielder Nate McLouth singled and stole second base tonight. It might not seem like a big deal, but it's noteworthy.
McLouth hadn't swiped a base since June 19. He attempted only one since that night, getting thrown out in a June 22 game against Toronto.
Pitchers have been quicker to the plate with McLouth on first base, and he's been extremely patient.
McLouth scored tonight on Adam Jones' single, and Nick Markakis scored on Chris Davis' single for 2-0 lead.
Davis was...
Cuban defector Henry Urrutia, who had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk on Friday, will make his major league debut tonight as the Orioles' designated hitter.
Urrutia is batting eighth against Rangers right-hander Ross Wolf, the former Orioles farmhand.
J.J. Hardy will bat ahead of Urrutia, and Brian Roberts will bat behind him.
For the Orioles
Nate McLouth LF
Manny Machado 3B
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Chris Davis 1B
Matt Wieters C
J.J. Hardy SS
Henry Urrutia DH
Brian...
Pitching for the first time since going on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, Orioles right-hander Steve Johnson threw two scoreless innings this morning with the Gulf Coast League team in Sarasota.
Johnson didn't allow a hit, walked one batter and struck out three.
The plan calls for Johnson to continue his rehab with short-season Single-A Aberdeen, where he's expected to report on Wednesday. He's flying back to Baltimore tonight to attend his grandmother's funeral.
Johnson...
The only drama following the news that Henry Urrutia would be joining the Orioles in Arlington was whether he would start against one of the Rangers' left-handers.
It didn't happen last night and it may not happen Sunday, but Urrutia was a slam dunk to start tonight against right-hander Ross Wolf, the former Orioles farmhand.
The Orioles didn't bring up Urrutia so he could sit on the bench every game. That would make no sense. He needs to play and they need to evaluate him. And he's...
Orioles left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has made two starts since coming off the disabled list, both of them against the Texas Rangers. He's allowed two runs and 11 hits in 13 1/3 innings.
In three career starts against the Rangers - tonight was the first in Arlington - Chen has surrendered only three earns runs in 21 innings.
Tonight was a bit of a struggle, but Chen registered his seventh quality start of the season. He allowed one run and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings, with two walks and three...
Matt Wieters has two career hits against Rangers left-hander Derek Holland. Both of them are home runs.
Wieters took Holland deep in the top of the second inning tonight to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead in Arlington.
Maybe those four days off freshened up Wieters.
Wieters has hit five of his home runs against left-handers this season and eight against right-handers.
Chris Davis struck out in his first at-bat tonight, and he wasn't pleased with the call from plate umpire Andy Fletcher. Davis...
Henry Urrutia won't make his first major league start tonight.
Urrutia is on the Orioles' bench against Rangers left-hander Derek Holland. Danny Valencia is the designated hitter.
For the Orioles
Nate McLouth LF
Manny Machado 3B
Nick Markakis RF
Adam Jones CF
Chris Davis 1B
J.J. Hardy SS
Matt Wieters C
Danny Valencia DH
Brian Roberts 2B
Wei-Yin Chen LHP
For the Rangers
Ian Kinsler 2B
Elvis Andrus SS
A.J. Pierzynski C
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jeff Baker DH
Mitch Moreland 1B
Craig Gentry...
Orioles outfielder Nolan Reimold has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 14, with nerve inflammation in his cervical spine, and he is scheduled to undergo surgery next week.
The Orioles recalled infielder Danny Valencia and selected the contract of outfielder Henry Urrutia. They designated outfielder Chris Dickerson for assignment to clear room for Urrutia on the 25- and 40-man rosters.
Reimold, 29, has batted .195/.250/.336 in 40 games with the Orioles this season....
The Orioles are listing Scott Feldman, Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez as their four starters for the series in Kansas City that begins Monday night.
Manager Buck Showalter is keeping the same five starters after the All-Star break, but he's tweaked the order by moving Feldman ahead of Hammel.
Hammel pitched Saturday against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. and allowed six runs and 10 hits in six innings, falling to 7-6 with a 5.24 ERA in 19 starts. He hasn't won since May 27...
I'm curious whether the Orioles will toss Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia into the deep end of the major league pool or let him dip his toe into it.
Urrutia has climbed up the minor league ladder. Maybe he'll climb down the one leading into the pool, if you know what I mean.
The Orioles are facing a left-hander tonight, the Rangers' Derek Holland, which could put Danny Valencia in the lineup at designated hitter. They also will face southpaw Martin Perez on Sunday.
Urrutia was 6-for-17...
The news that Cuban defector Henry Urrutia was joining the Orioles in Texas this weekend came as little surprise for three reasons. He's putting up numbers deserving of a promotion, executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter hinted at it during the last homestand, and Wilson Betemit is a long way from serving as the Orioles' left-handed designated hitter.
The Orioles haven't given up on Betemit this season, but his goal of returning immediately after the break has been...