The Orioles have another off-day following their longest homestand of the season. They’ll hit the road for a three-game series in D.C. and Detroit.

Contrary to some of the stuff I’ve read, the season isn’t over. The Orioles have played 21 games and the season isn’t truncated to 22. Lucky for them, right? But yeah, yesterday was ugly – it only counts as one loss - and a rotation with the highest ERA in baseball is cause for concern. Injuries are a big part of the problem, but it goes beyond health.

The offense also can drive a fan batty. The Reds went with a bullpen game yesterday, but the Orioles managed only one run off Brent Suter in three innings and two on the day, and they lost by three touchdowns. Key guys are slumping. Cedric Mullins can’t carry this much of the load.

I don’t want to carry a heavy mailbag, so it’s time to do some dumping. You asked and I did my best to answer. The editing was restricted to my cut-and-paste technique of moving questions from blog comments to my Word document. It’s a skill like anything else.

Also, my mailbag received a visit from the Easter Bunny and your mailbag was visited by a rabid raccoon.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde sent out the verbal equivalent of a bat signal, except it wasn’t for the offense.

Hyde expressed his concerns Saturday about his bullpen’s heavy workload and how the short starts take their toll. And that’s when he called for his 41-year-old pitcher to help.

“Come on, Charlie Morton,” Hyde said. “Need you.”

Morton didn’t make it through the third inning today, leaving after 2 1/3 and charged with seven runs in a 24-2 loss to the Reds before an announced crowd of 19,053 that booed the performance but enjoyed an infielder and catcher making their pitching debuts.

Their excitement began with Jorge Mateo taking the mound in the eighth, chanting his name as the Reds batted around. He loaded the bases while throwing sliders, changeups and curveballs according to the tracker, hit Blake Dunn with two outs and served up a grand slam to Noelvi Marte. Former Orioles catcher Austin Wynns singled for his fifth hit.

Heston Kjerstad walked into the clubhouse this morning with his right elbow wrapped in white tape and a smile on his face.

He seemed fine last night after leaving the game with a bruised elbow from the 99.5 mph fastball from the Reds’ Hunter Greene that slammed into his arm in the first inning. He swung both arms while walking to his locker and fist-bumped a teammate. And he went out to the field today to do a health check.

Fortunately for Kjerstad, the ball hit part of the protective elbow gear and part of the arm, which caused some numbness in his hand. He wasn’t able to bat in the third inning, and Ramón Laureano hit two home runs off the bench.

X-rays came back negative.

The timing for Kjerstad is unfortunate. He began the game slashing .353/.389/.941 with a double, three homers, eight RBIs and five runs scored since April 12.

Heston Kjerstad is out of today’s lineup after taking a 99.5 mph fastball off his right elbow yesterday and leaving the game. X-rays were negative.

Kjerstad gets an extra day to rest Monday before the Orioles begin their series in D.C.

Cedric Mullins is leading off, followed again by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. Ryan O’Hearn is in right field.

Ramón Laureano, who homered twice yesterday off the bench, is in left field.

Jordan Westburg, who homered yesterday to snap an 0-for-30 stretch, is the designated hitter.

Tyler Wells doesn’t know about a timetable that puts him back into a major league game. He won’t ask. Ignorance in some cases is bliss and intentional.

Wells is recovered from reconstructive-elbow surgery last June and is going through the early stages of a throwing progression. He’s played catch on flat ground for the past week.

“Everything’s been feeling really good with those,” he said yesterday.

“Hoping to get off the mound soon. Elbow’s feeling great, shoulder’s feeling great, body’s feeling good. So right now we’re just in that phase right now where we’re getting in flat grounds and hopefully in the next week or two we’ll be off the mound.”

The internal brace procedure is supposed to shorten the recovery period. The Orioles won’t rush Wells, but they need healthy pitchers.

The Orioles thought they knew what was coming today from Reds starter Hunter Greene - the 99-100 mph fastball, the plus-sliders, the scoreless streak, the stacked odds. Brandon Young was the riddle, an undrafted rookie making his major league debut.

Young’s hair is long, but the Orioles hoped that his outing would provide some length.

You can’t count on much these days, and that includes Greene’s dominance. He lasted only three innings and surrendered three homers among his five runs. Greene went four-plus and left with a lead. And Ramón Laureano provided an unexpected twist by homering twice off the bench.

Jordan Westburg snapped an 0-for-30 stretch with a homer, and seven relievers combined for two-run ball over five innings in the Orioles’ wild 9-5 victory over the Reds before an announced orange-clad crowd of 28,534 at Camden Yards.

Félix Bautista warmed and sat down after the Orioles (9-11) scored twice in the eighth. He got up again after Austin Hays led off the ninth by clearing the left field wall against Matt Bowman and Gavin Lux doubled. A walk brought Bautista into the game with two on and no outs, they were stranded to give him the save, and the Orioles will try to claim another series Sunday.

Brandon Young, the Orioles’ No. 19 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, makes his major league debut this afternoon against the Reds. He’s wearing No. 63.

Young’s 8.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio with Norfolk ranked third in Triple-A among pitchers with a minimum 15 innings.

The Orioles designated reliever Scott Blewett for assignment. Blewett, who’s out of options, allowed an unearned run and five hits in 4 1/3 innings, with one walk and six strikeouts.

Jordan Westburg, who’s in an 0-for-27 slump, is the designated hitter today.

Cedric Mullins is leading off, followed by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. Jackson Holliday is playing second base and Heston Kjerstad is in left field.

Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad stayed in the lineup last night against Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott. He isn’t in a platoon role, which can be explained three ways.

1. Colton Cowser is on the injured list with a fractured left thumb, which is providing more starts for Kjerstad.

2. The Orioles wanted to give Kjerstad more at-bats and opportunities this season. They were quite transparent about it in camp, and he’s homered three times in six games.

3. Kjerstad is earning the club’s trust defensively.

The last one is evident by how he’s playing in left and right, and how manager Brandon Hyde seems to field more questions about Kjerstad’s glove than his bat. And in a good way this time.

Cade Povich raised his glove to his face and yelled as he drifted toward the third base line. Catcher Gary Sánchez walked to the mound and put an arm around his shoulder.

The body language told an unpleasant story. The Orioles didn’t gain any momentum from back-to-back wins the past two nights. Such a thing doesn’t exist in baseball. The guy holding the ball sets the tone.

Povich kept the Reds scoreless for two innings and watched his start disintegrate, surrendering a career-high three home runs and tying his career high with five walks in 3 1/3. One of the weakest offensive teams in the majors statistically was giving him the business.

Manager Brandon Hyde removed Povich after seven runs scored and the Orioles lost 8-3 before an announced sellout crowd of 42,587 at Camden Yards that voiced its agitation on a few occasions.

Heston Kjerstad homered again, following Sánchez’s leadoff single off Scott Barlow in the eighth with a 407-footer to center field at 105.9 mph.

The only update today on Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez is that he’s seeking other opinions after undergoing an MRI on his sore right shoulder.

Rodriguez’s bullpen session was canceled and he had imaging done yesterday after waking up this week with the discomfort. He’s on the injured list with inflammation in his elbow/triceps.

“We got the results back,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We’re gonna get some opinions on it, so there’s really nothing to report at this time. We’re gathering information from second opinions from other doctors and we’ll have more to give you sometime next week when all that stuff comes back.”

Brandon Young will fill a hole in the rotation on Saturday in his major league debut. He replaces Zach Eflin, who’s on the injured list with a right lat strain.

Young, the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020. The draft was shortened to five rounds because of the pandemic.

The Orioles begin a three-game series against the Reds tonight with a lineup that has Adley Rutschman leading off, Gunnar Henderson batting second and Cedric Mullins fifth.

Tyler O’Neill missed the last two games with neck discomfort but he’s in right field tonight and batting third.

Jordan Westburg is at third base. He’s in an 0-for-24 slump.

Gary Sánchez is catching. Heston Kjerstad is in left field and Jorge Mateo is at second. Jackson Holliday goes to the bench.

Mullins is 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The rest of the team is 22-for-103 (.214).

Brandon Young has joined the Orioles’ taxi squad and will make his major league debut by starting Saturday afternoon against the Reds at Camden Yards.

Young has allowed five earned runs in 16 1/3 innings with Triple-A Norfolk. MLB Pipeline rates him as the No. 19 prospect in the system.

The Orioles transferred Young to High-A Aberdeen earlier this week before announcing today’s move. They need a fifth starter Saturday and he became the obvious choice.

A corresponding move is pending to create room on the 26-man roster.

Cade Povich is preparing for his fourth start tonight after allowing six earned runs and 24 hits in 15 innings. Left-handed hitters are slashing .250/.286/.500 against Povich and right-handers are batting .396/.418/.491.

Among the nine Orioles on the injured list, reliever Andrew Kittredge appears to bring the most promising outlook, and that’s as much a statement about the team’s misfortunate as his recovery.

Grayson Rodriguez seemed to be trending in the right direction, with multiple bullpen sessions indicating that he might be getting closer to facing hitters in live batting practice and on a rehab assignment. However, yesterday’s session was nixed because of soreness in his right shoulder that cropped up earlier in the week.

A pause of any length is significant, since it interferes with the ramp up process, and having to restart his progression would be a painful blow. There’s also a worst-case scenario that doesn’t need to be verbalized.

The Orioles need top starter Zach Eflin’s stay on the IL to be relatively brief, but he’s recovering from a lat strain and won’t be ready for reinstatement when eligible on Wednesday. He threw in the outfield for the first time two days ago, so facing hitters isn’t an immediate goal.

“I’m hopeful at this point that his stay on the IL will be measured more in weeks than in months,” said executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias.

The music wasn't louder than usual and the strobe lights didn't shine brighter. The Orioles treated tonight’s game like the 18^th out of 162, with the mood leaning much more toward reserved than raucous.

They can go through their victory routine and maintain their perspective, but they’ve certainly earned the right to celebrate.

After all, they finally won back-to-back games and a series. Never sneeze at the small gains. And never forget that Tomoyuki Sugano was given $13 million to come to the U.S. for a reason.

Gunnar Henderson, Ryan O’Hearn and Heston Kjerstad homered, and Sugano became the first Orioles starter to work into the seventh inning in a 6-2 victory over the Guardians before an announced crowd of 16,201 at Camden Yards.

Sugano allowed two runs and five hits with no walks over seven innings, and the Orioles improved to 8-10. He threw 87 pitches, 55 for strikes, and received a nice ovation as he walked off the mound for the last time.

Any potential timeline for Grayson Rodriguez to get back into the Orioles’ rotation is scrambled again after he experienced another setback.

The hits keep coming without appearing in games.

Rodriguez was supposed to throw a bullpen session today but the club canceled it a few days ago due to soreness in his right shoulder. Rodriguez was sent for an MRI.

This is another major blow for the rotation, which also lost No. 1 starter Zach Eflin to a lat strain. Eflin won’t be ready when he’s eligible to return on Wednesday.

Manager Brandon Hyde shared the Rodriguez news with the media.

The Orioles will try to win their first series tonight and post their first back-to-back victories with Heston Kjerstad and Jackson Holliday staying in the lineup and Cedric Mullins batting leadoff.

Gunnar Henderson moves down to second in the order.

Tyler O’Neill is out of the lineup due to neck stiffness that forced him to be scratched yesterday. Ryan O’Hearn is playing right field.

Jordan Westburg is playing tonight, serving as designated hitter. He’s hitless in his last 20 at-bats.

Adley Rutschman slides down to third in the order.

The Orioles have come up short on victories early in the season, but they aren’t running low on reasons why and theories on how to turn it around.

Having nine players on the injured list, including top two starters Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez, outfielder Colton Cowser and relievers Albert Suárez and Andrew Kittredge, set up the club to begin slowly. The depth took a hit, especially with pitchers Trevor Rogers and Chayce McDermott also on the IL.

The rotation posted a 5.54 ERA that ranked last in the majors before Dean Kremer held the Guardians to one run in 5 1/3 innings, and 79 2/3 innings from the unit were tied with Cleveland for 29^th. Bullpen usage is tricky with Félix Bautista unable to work back-to-back days or go multiple innings, and with left-hander Cionel Pérez carrying a 14.21 ERA and 3.158 WHIP in six appearances. The offense sputters. The defense breaks down randomly, offering the best and worst last night.

The problems don’t go ignored.

“We’re talking about it every day and trying to figure out how we can help these guys, give them confidence. Be honest about how we’re playing. Nobody’s hiding from it,” manager Brandon Hyde said before a 9-1 win.

The Orioles needed an effective start out of their rotation. They needed a big swing that might deaden their slump. Perhaps they could regain some authority and quiet a few critics.

Dean Kremer spun 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball tonight and Jackson Holliday marked his return to the lineup with a grand slam. They filled the order.

Heston Kjerstad made a clutch grab to strand two runners, Ramón Laureano and Ryan O'Hearn homered, and the Orioles defeated the Guardians 9-1 before an announced crowd of 13,964 at Camden Yards. The record improved to 7-10 with their fourth win in 12 games and they get another chance to claim their first series.

A four-run eighth, which included O'Hearn's long ball and Kjerstad's two-run single, put the game out of reach. Ramón Urías had a 398-foot sacrifice fly.

Holliday was hitless in his last 17 at-bats and didn’t play last night. He batted with one out in the second inning after Cedric Mullins walked, Ryan Mountcastle singled and Urías walked to load the bases.

The Orioles have scratched Tyler O’Neill from tonight’s lineup due to neck discomfort.

Ramón Laureano comes off the bench to play left field and Heston Kjerstad moves to right. Ryan Mountcastle rises to fifth in the order.

O’Neill is batting .265/.339/.490 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBIs in 14 games. He played right last night and doubled a runner off second base.

Gunnar Henderson SS
Adley Rutschman C
Ryan O’Hearn DH
Cedric Mullins CF
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Heston Kjerstad RF
Ramón Urías 3B
Jackson Holliday 2B
Ramón Laureano LF

Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin, who started on Opening Day in Toronto, threw in the outfield today for the first time since going on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain.

The Orioles will try to win tonight for only the fourth time in 12 games and to keep alive their chance to claim their first series.

Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad have returned to the lineup. Kjerstad is in left field and batting sixth. Holliday is at second base and batting eighth ahead of third baseman Ramón Urías.

Jordan Westburg takes a seat. He’s hitless in his last 20 at-bats to lower his average to .196 with a .631 OPS.

Cedric Mullins is batting cleanup. Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter.

Dean Kremer has an 8.16 ERA and 1.674 WHIP in three starts. He’s gone 5 1/3, 4 1/3 and 4 2/3 innings.