Kyle Bradish remembered his move. The pinpoint control was evident before his first pitch.

Bradish led the Orioles onto the field tonight, turned sideways as he jumped over the first base line and pounded his fist into his glove after landing. He was starting a major league game for the first time in 438 days, and fans didn’t let the moment pass without an ovation.

The Red Sox deviated a little from their assigned parts in the feel-good story of the returning ace who made it through elbow surgery and an extensive rehab. Bradish struck out eight batters over the first four innings but also surrendered a pair of leadoff home runs.

The velocity was good. The arm was healthy. The rotation immediately got better, for this year and in 2026. Nothing else mattered as much.

Bradish completed six innings on 81 pitches and struck out 10 in the Orioles’ 5-0 loss before an announced crowd of 14,776 at Camden Yards. He allowed two runs and four hits and didn’t issue a walk.

The Orioles summoned right-hander Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Norfolk today and placed him on the taxi squad.

The visit will last more than 24 hours.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino needs a starter for Wednesday night and said Contreras is going to pitch “a good amount.” The exact role is undetermined, but another roster move is lurking.

Contreras could start or work in bulk relief behind an opener.

“A lot will kind of depend on how we go through today,” Mansolino said.

Another bullpen move is coming for the Orioles.

The club announced today that it claimed right-hander Shawn Dubin on waivers from the Astros. He hasn’t reported.

Dubin, 29, made 23 appearances this season and posted a 5.61 ERA and 1.481 WHIP in 25 2/3 innings. Three of his last four outings came against the Orioles, when he allowed nine runs in four innings. His ERA was 1.33 on June 20 and he didn’t pitch again for Houston until Aug. 12.

The Astros designated Dubin for assignment on Saturday. He’s out of minor league options and has registered a 4.95 ERA and 1.550 WHIP in 57 games over three seasons.

The Orioles already have used a franchise-record 63 players this season. The old record was 62 in 2021.

The Orioles will begin the 2026 season at home for the second time in three seasons after five consecutive road openers.

Major League Baseball released the schedules earlier today and the Orioles host the Twins on March 26. The teams get an off-day and play two more games before the Rangers arrive for three.

The first road trip takes the Orioles to Pittsburgh from April 3-5 and Chicago to face the White Sox from April 6-8.

The All-Star break is July 13-16, followed by road games in Houston and Boston.

The Orioles end the season in New York again, with the final game played on Sept. 27. The last homestand brings the Brewers and Blue Jays to Baltimore.

The promotions of Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers to the majors reduced the number of Orioles storylines that create interest over the final month-plus of a hugely disappointing season.

The ball is in Kyle Bradish’s court. And his right hand.

Bradish starts tonight for the first time since June 14, 2024, when he came out of the game after five innings and only 74 pitches. He tossed six scoreless innings with only one hit allowed in his previous outing. Something was wrong.

We knew. Bradish received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow five months early in an attempt to avoid reconstructive elbow surgery. Each start, each pitch, brought its own drama.

How long could he last?

Tomoyuki Sugano became the latest Orioles pitcher tonight to face the same team in back-to-back starts. Dean Kremer did it against the Astros and went from tossing seven scoreless innings in Houston to allowing three home runs in the first inning at Camden Yards.

Kremer is a member of the two-timers club, also making consecutive appearances against the Twins in May and producing worse results in the rematch.

"That’s one of the scheduling challenges everyone has to face," he said over the weekend.

Sugano experienced it and was burned twice by the long ball in the Orioles’ 4-3 loss to the Red Sox before an announced crowd of 15,740 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles couldn’t convert leadoff doubles in the seventh and eighth innings and fell to 60-71.

The Orioles probably will wait until Wednesday morning to announce that night’s starter against the Red Sox. However, they confirmed earlier today that Kyle Bradish is getting the ball Tuesday night in his return from ligament-reconstructive surgery.

Bradish completed his rehab assignment, which lasted six appearances, and finally makes his return from his procedure in June 2024.

“It’s exciting,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “Obviously, he’s been miserable not being able to help us this year. Been very miserable, kind of watching this thing and how it’s gone, and he finally gets a chance to help. But just really excited, too, for (head athletic trainer) Scott Barringer and (head strength and conditioning coach) Trey Wiedman, our strength staff, (pitching coach) Drew French, all the people. It’s such a hands-on … and there’s so much work that goes into getting guys back from these Tommy John rehabs, among the other injuries. It’s an organizational win getting him out there tomorrow.”

Expectations will be kept at a reasonable level with Bradish returning from such a long layoff to face major league hitters.

“Guys coming back from Tommy John, we just saw (Shane) Bieber I think in Toronto have a nice one, a really good one, and that’s probably the type of profile that Kyle has in a lot of ways,” Mansolino said. “We’ve seen guys of that high of a profile have clunkers, too, the first couple times, but eventually they get going. And I think over time we’ll see Kyle get back to being Kyle.”

Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish is confirmed to start Tuesday night for the first time since June 14, 2024.

Bradish hasn’t faced the Red Sox since Oct. 1, 2013, when he was shortened to two innings before the playoffs.

Those were good times for Bradish, but he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in the elbow in January 2024 and lasted eight starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Bradish had posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.068 WHIP in 39 1/3 innings after placing fourth in American League Cy Young voting the previous season. He struck out 53 batters.

The Orioles deemed Bradish ready after he made six starts and totaled 22 innings on his rehab assignment.

A season that might be the most disappointing in franchise history – it’s certainly in the discussion and ignores each time 2018 wants it to hold a beer – won’t define the future of the Orioles organization.

Every player, coach, instructor front office member and team employee expresses confidence in a major bounce back in 2026. Control owner David Rubenstein waited for executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias to finish an answer Saturday at catcher Samuel Basallo’s press conference and chimed in with his thoughts on the season and what lies ahead.

“We had some bad luck this year, obviously,” he said. “Health challenges were more severe than anybody could have ever predicted. Our players, when we have our best team on the field and they’re healthy, I think we’re as good as anybody in baseball. We just need to stay healthy, and hopefully we can be healthier next year. We’ve got some really good other projects under way. I think people are going to be really happy in Baltimore with what we field next year.”

Catcher Adley Rutschman knows disappointment. He’s roomed with it. They order DoorDash and binge Netflix.

Rutschman is as qualified as anyone to talk about it, with his first two career stops on the injured list due to left and right oblique strains and a .227/.310/.373 line in 85 games. His run of All-Star selections ended at two in a row. And he might not get another at-bat this season until he heals faster than his first shutdown.

The face, name and delivery were familiar. Had to be Trevor Rogers. Just block out the traffic on the bases and it made sense.

Rogers allowed a hit on his first pitch today, walked two batters in the third inning, committed a balk and surrendered the tying run. When the bar is set to near perfection, the hiccups are jolting.

In this magical season for Rogers, he can slip below his usual standards and conjure up a win. He can struggle a little and still skimp on the runs.

Rogers lowered his ERA to 1.40 with one run allowed in his fifth consecutive start, and the Orioles avoided a sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Astros before an announced crowd of 19,746 at Camden Yards. Their record is 60-70.

Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti retired 15 batters in a row before Gunnar Henderson’s two-out single in the sixth inning. Henderson stole second and third base to give him 19, and he scored when Ryan Mountcastle poked a sinker into right field for a 2-1 lead.

The Orioles’ injured list swelled to 15 players but is going to lose some weight with Kyle Bradish’s return this week to the active roster. A few more names are dropping off.

Catcher Adley Rutschman is trying to be among them.

Rutschman strained his right oblique and won’t be reinstated when eligible Thursday. However, he intends to play again next month.

“That’s the plan and I’m working as hard as I can to come back as soon as possible,” he said.

Rutschman missed five weeks with the same injury on his left side.

Colton Cowser, who’s homered in back-to-back games, is leading off today for the fifth time this season.

Jackson Holliday is on the bench.

Jeremiah Jackson is in right field and batting second. Ryan Mountcastle is at first base and Samuel Basallo is the designated hitter. Vimael Machín is at third base again.

Dylan Beavers is in left field. Over his first seven games, Beavers is hitting .500 against fastballs and has made contact with 95.7 percent.

Jackson is 14-for-34 (.412) in his last nine games.

The schedule delivers another day game after a night game. And maybe another round of Samuel Basallo stories.

Just playing the odds here.

Basallo has been the center of attention for his major league promotion, early RBI binge, agreement on the most lucrative contract extension for a pre-arbitration catcher and yesterday’s press conference to talk about it.

“Wonderful day for us,” said executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, “and we look forward to working with Sam for a very, very long time, and hopefully leading us to much success and many championships during his time here.”

Maybe in 2026.

The Orioles bailed out Dean Kremer tonight, which was the first order of business. Battle back twice to tie. Conclude his frustrating night with no decision. Try to win a game in the series and go for the split on Sunday.

They couldn’t complete the mission.

Christian Walker hit a two-run homer off left-hander Dietrich Enns in the seventh inning and the Astros hung on for a 9-8 victory over the Orioles before an announced crowd of 30,159 at Camden Yards.

Walker mashed a changeup 414 feet to left field with two outs, extending his home run streak to three games in a row. The Orioles (59-70) have lost three straight after winning six of seven. They didn't lose their 70th last year until Sept. 22.

Jeremiah Jackson hit his first major league home run in the fourth inning, a 439-foot shot to center field that reduced the lead to 7-6. Colton Cowser followed his two-run single in the first with a solo homer in the fifth off AJ Blubaugh that knotted the score.

The support that teammates showed for young Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo earlier today at his news conference didn’t surprise interim manager Tony Mansolino. He knew that players would arrive early at the ballpark and fill out rows of seats. He knew that the camaraderie would be on display again.

The media just happened to be there.

“I think externally it’s probably great to see it,” Mansolino said. “I think internally we know how it is. Though thick and thin, through the winning, the losing, the injuries, through the negativity this year, through all the bad stuff this year, it’s stayed like that. This is a group that’s won a lot of games the last couple years. They didn’t do it because they’re bad dudes or because they don’t get along with each other. It’s quite the opposite.

“Not surprising for you guys to probably see it. Probably good to see it for you guys. Probably expected more from me.”

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson sat on one of the chairs in the middle of the room and joked about borrowing a reporters digital recorder and asking a question. This was a day to celebrate, to have fun. A nice distraction, too, from back-to-back losses to begin the homestand.

Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said there’s “a good chance” that Kyle Bradish starts Tuesday night against the Red Sox at Camden Yards.

Bradish hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since June 14, 2024, before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He’s completed an injury rehab assignment.

“Still working through that,” Mansolino said of his pitching plans.

Tyler Wells has one more start to make on his assignment, staying with Triple-A Norfolk for Wednesday’s game in Gwinnett, and he’s going to join the rotation after Sept. 1. He won’t go to the bullpen.

Wells hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since April 12, 2024. He also had an elbow-reconstructive procedure.

One by one they began to file into the auxiliary clubhouse that serves as a formal interview room at Camden Yards. Orioles employees, coaches, interim manager Tony Mansolino and a large contingent of players.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias sat next to control owner David Rubenstein. At the other end of the table was Koby Pérez, the Orioles’ vice president of international scouting and operations. And in between Elias and Pérez sat the 21-year-old catcher with the very mature salary.

The celebration of Samuel Basallo’s eight-year extension, complete with $5 million signing bonus, escalators and club option for 2034 that brings the total package to $88.5 million, continued this afternoon with a press conference. A game will be played later tonight, but the Basallo news dwarfs anything else that’s happening.

Teammates in attendance included Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Ryan Mountcastle, Dean Kremer, Tyler O’Neill, Coby Mayo, Colton Cowser, Alex Jackson, Brandon Young, Dietrich Enns and Matt Bowman. Most of them sat next to or behind the media members who normally occupy the room.

About half of those players could be under consideration for similar treatment down the road.

Samuel Basallo has been a major leaguer for less than a week and he’s on a record pace.

Basallo was the first player signed and developed by the Orioles’ new international program to reach the majors. He became only the second player to record an RBI in his first three games and to collect five over that same period. And most stunning, of course, is his distinction as the first to receive a contract extension of four-plus years under executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias.

It wasn’t Adley Rutschman or Gunnar Henderson or Jackson Holliday or Colton Cowser or Jordan Westburg or Coby Mayo or Dylan Beavers.

It was the kid who just turned 21 and made his debut on Sunday.

Maybe the organization’s plan is to start with the youngest and work its way up.

The 21-year-old catching phenom signs an eight-year contract extension less than a week after his major league debut. Two more players go on the injured list.

Just another day in the life of the Orioles, who can bounce from unpredictable to monotonous in a matter of seconds.

They had to play the latest game on their schedule, the 128^th this season, and lost to the Astros 10-7 before an announced crowd of 24,224 at Camden Yards.

After claiming three series in a row for the first time, the best they can do against Houston is a split. Dean Kremer starts Saturday night.

Colton Cowser hit his 10^th home run in the seventh inning to reduce Houston’s lead to 7-6, the ball traveling 417 feet to right field at 108.3 mph. Reliever Enyel De Los Santos left a fastball over the middle of the plate and regretted it.

The Orioles put rookie Brandon Young on the 15-day injured list this afternoon with a strained left hamstring and selected reliever Matt Bowman’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk. A short time later, interim manager Tony Mansolino announced that infielder Jordan Westburg was going on the 10-day IL with a sprained right ankle.

So much for Westburg’s day-to-day status.

Infielder Vimael Machín had his contract selected after spending yesterday on the 24-hour medical taxi squad, and he’s wearing No. 65. He hasn’t played in the majors since 2022 with the Athletics.

Closer Félix Bautista and catcher Gary Sánchez were transferred to the 60-day IL to create openings on the 40-man roster.

Machín will be the 63^rd player used if he gets into a game, breaking the franchise record of 62 set in 2021. He’s played in 105 games with the Tides and is batting .287/.346/.475 with 25 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 70 RBIs. He was 7-for-13 with three doubles over three games before going 0-for-5 on Sunday.