NEW YORK – The Orioles will consider it a win if they reach a point in their season where the rotation isn’t a daily topic of conversation and ripe with intrigue.

Who’s out, who’s in, who’s hurt.

The highly anticipated and loudly demanded arrivals of prospects Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall will prevent the rotation from becoming stagnant, especially with the Orioles spreading out their debuts rather than delivering them in a cluster. Bradish should be the first to reach the majors, with Rodriguez behind him and Hall third.

The equation isn’t complicated.

Bradish is 25 and has made 24 career appearances in Triple-A. Rodriguez is 22 and has made four.

NEW YORK – The lineup was loaded with prospects, the future put on display for fans to admire as if shuffling through a baseball museum, pausing to stare at the most attractive pieces. Except the most valuable also were the newest.

This is what happened in Aberdeen, where the Orioles’ high Single-A affiliate stole the major league team’s thunder on a rainy night with catcher Adley Rutschman’s first injury rehab game.

The Orioles stepped into the third series of their road trip and were flattened early by Luis Severino, who retired the first 14 batters and didn’t allow a hit until Jorge Mateo singled in the sixth inning in the Yankees’ wild 12-8 win in the Bronx.

A different vibe entirely, though entertaining in their own way.

A familiar comeback attempt, with the Orioles again falling behind by six runs before fighting back. Twice. But unlike Sunday’s game in Anaheim, they couldn’t get even.

NEW YORK – An Orioles rotation missing its No. 1 starter is forced to fill another opening with the season less than a month old.

Chris Ellis was placed on the 10-day injured list this afternoon with right shoulder inflammation, the same condition that shut him down last September.

Alexander Wells was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, a simply and logical transaction with the left-hander on the taxi squad. He already had a locker inside the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium.

Ellis faced only five batters Sunday in Anaheim and didn’t retire anyone. He walked three, hit one and surrendered a two-run single.

Mound visits from pitching coach Chris Holt and later head athletic trainer Brian Ebel preceded his removal from the game.

NEW YORK – Austin Hays is in left field tonight and Anthony Santander is in right, as the Orioles open a three-game series against the Yankees.

Jorge Mateo is the shortstop and Ramón Urías is playing third base.

Jordan Lyles is making his fourth start. He’s allowed six runs and 18 hits with six walks in 15 1/3 innings, but only one run in his last two starts over 10 1/3 innings.

Lyles held the Yankees to one run in 5 1/3 innings at Camden Yards.

Right-hander Luis Severino has made three starts for the Yankees this season and allowed only three runs in 13 innings. He’s surrendered 14 hits, walked four batters and struck out 14.

The Orioles are in New York for a three-game series that wraps up a long road trip. Three cities, one terrible piece of news regarding ace John Means and one significant update on catcher Adley Rutschman.

Rutschman is in Aberdeen tonight, where the high Single-A IronBirds open a six-game series against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. The usual Monday off-day is followed by six more home games against the Brooklyn Cyclones.

It’s highly unlikely that Rutschman sticks around for a dozen games, but the Orioles aren’t laying out an exact plan. He’s going to dictate how quickly he moves through his injury rehab assignment.

DL Hall also is reporting to Aberdeen this afternoon, but he isn’t returning from a recent injury. The Orioles have him on a progression after he made only seven starts last summer with Double-A Bowie due to a stress reaction his left elbow.

Hall already proved that he made a full recovery by firing fastballs at 98-100 mph in Clearwater while retiring the Phillies in order with two strikeouts. He’ll get back to Double-A Bowie, eventually pitch at Triple-A Norfolk and, assuming he stays healthy, debut with the Orioles this summer.

Given the stretch of injuries that are hitting the Orioles at practically every turn, on their own roster and especially in the minors, they must have braced for the worst when a pitch ran in on Hudson Haskin’s hands during his first at-bat of an April 13 game in Binghamton.

Haskin was hit and headed to the clubhouse. Lineups posted for Double-A Bowie excluded him until six days later, with one exception – when a separate health issue caused him to be scratched.

In what’s started out as a special 2022 season for the Baysox outfielder, Haskin singled twice before the errant pitch and went 3-for-5 with a home run and six RBIs immediately upon his return.

Haskin, 23, collected two more hits the following night and his average dropped. That’s a hot start.

The ball that sidelined Haskin struck him on the bottom of the left hand, “that little fragile area,” said Baysox manager Kyle Moore. No broken bones, but some anxiety that ran through the organization.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde praised his bullpen before today’s game in Anaheim. He noted how the staff stepped up collectively as the club lost ace John Means and bulk reliever Dean Kremer to injuries. Miss your teammates, but not a beat.

Hyde didn’t intend to grab the phone so early this afternoon, or to talk about another physical issue that struck his rotation.

Chris Ellis faced five Angels batters, retired none and left the mound with head athletic trainer Brian Ebel. The team announced later that Ellis had right shoulder discomfort.

Ellis walked three batters, hit one and surrendered a two-run single to Jared Walsh – leaving after only 21 pitches, six for strikes.

Travis Lakins Sr. inherited a bases-loaded jam and served up a grand slam to Jo Adell for a six-run deficit, the Orioles battled back to tie the game in the seventh, and fell behind again in a 7-6 loss after Félix Bautista walked Taylor Ward with the bases full in the bottom half of the inning.

In parts of his five major league seasons, Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander hasn’t been able to post an on-base percentage higher than .315, a level attained in only 37 games in 2020.

Santander played in 110 games last summer and accumulated 438 plate appearances, missing a month with a sprained ankle and being shut down after Sept. 26 with a left knee sprain. He finished with a .286 OBP that again drew attention to his poor pitch recognition and struggles to stay patient in the box.

The Orioles are closing out their series in Anaheim this afternoon, and Santander has reached base in the first 15 games of the season to draw within three of his record. He ranks third in the American League and seventh in the majors with a .452 OBP.

Santander has walked 13 times to rank second in the league behind Seattle’s Jesse Winker. Ten more and he’ll match his total for last season.

The 21 percent walk rate puts Santander in the top two percent in the majors, according to Statcast data. He’s seeing 4.40 pitches per plate appearance, 10^th in the league, and his 273 total pitches seen put him second in the AL behind the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani (276).

The Orioles are owed some good news on the health front, and it’s arriving from the minors.

Catcher Adley Rutschman and pitchers DL Hall and Rico Garcia are joining the high Single-A Aberdeen IronBirds this week, with the first game played Tuesday night against Jersey Shore at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium.

Rutschman, the No. 1 or 2 prospect in baseball depending on which outlet is posting the rankings, and Garcia are on minor league injury rehab assignments. Hall, the Orioles’ No. 3 prospect, is continuing his progression.  

Most of the attention falls upon Rutschman, who recovered from a strained right triceps sustained early in camp. His major league debut is fast approaching, but he’ll need to stop at a few other affiliates.

Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 before signing a minor league deal with the Orioles.

Nothing that’s happened since John Means experienced tightness in his left forearm should be categorized as totally unexpected beyond perhaps the staff ace breaking his own news on social media.

The injury being to his elbow. The multiple MRIs and opinions. Confirmation that the ligament must be reconstructed and the 2022 season ends for him after two starts.

Additional tests aren’t usually run if the initial diagnosis is positive.

Means wanted to reach 200 innings this year. Of course he did. What starter aims low? It’s what 300 innings used to be back in the day.

Reaching that total seemed overly ambitious with the shorter leash in April, but stalling at eight is an unforeseen circumstance. And the surgery is expected to deny him a chance to be anointed the opening day starter for a fourth consecutive season – though he couldn’t fulfill it in 2020 due to shoulder fatigue.

An Orioles rotation that must proceed without ace John Means, who’s undergoing Tommy John surgery next week, finds Spenser Watkins back on the mound in the continuation of a road trip that’s produced two wins in five games.

Watkins earned another turn after holding the Athletics to one run and two hits in five innings.

The right-hander’s first major league appearance came in Anaheim on July 2, 2021, when he retired all three batters he faced in relief. He started against the Angels on Aug. 24 in Baltimore and surrendered eight runs in two innings.

Orioles starters have allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 consecutive games.

Trey Mancini is in right field tonight and Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. Santander is the only player in the majors to reach base in each of the first 14 games.

One day short of his 29^th birthday, Orioles starter John Means confirmed today that he won’t pitch again in 2022.

Means tweeted that he’s undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, an expected outcome after the Orioles placed him on the injured list retroactive to April 14, transferred him to the 60-day IL and clarified the injury as a sprain. He left his April 13 start after four innings with forearm tightness.

With a recovery time that can exceed a full year, Means likely won’t return to the mound until he’s 30.

Means sought multiple opinions following his first MRI. He’ll have surgery on Wednesday in Texas, with Dr. Keith Meister handling the procedure. Meister performed the same surgery on Orioles 2020 fifth-round draft pick Carter Baumler.

“I’m obviously disappointed, but more motivated than ever,” Means tweeted. “In the meantime, I’m looking forward to watching what this team can do this year. I’ll be back, Go O’s.”

BOWIE – Adam Hall walked into the home clubhouse at Prince George’s Stadium Wednesday afternoon, glanced at the Bowie Baysox’s lineup card posted on the wall to his left, saw his name atop the order as the designated hitter and decided to have some fun with it.

“Are you sure you got that right?” he asked Kyle Moore, manager of the Orioles’ Double-A affiliate.

Moore hadn’t made a mistake. He’s tasked each day with rotating infielders at different positions and roles, perhaps his biggest challenge on the job.

Too many prospects on a roster won’t bring much chirping from his office, but it’s stressful.

The Orioles created a formula of sorts for Moore to ensure that Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Joey Ortiz get consecutive starts at shortstop and then bounce to other spots. Keeping it warm for the next guy. Keeping the developmental process churning and also flashing some creativity.

The Orioles flew into Anaheim last night after losing three of four games in Oakland, and they’re starting left-hander Bruce Zimmermann in the series opener against the Angels.

Zimmermann hasn’t allowed a run in nine innings. He’s never faced the Angels.

Catcher Robinson Chirinos returns to the lineup after being hit by a pitch Wednesday that struck his shoulder and the side of his face.

Trey Mancini, ejected yesterday for the first time in his career, is batting second as the designated hitter. Anthony Santander is the left fielder and cleanup hitter.

Ramón Urías starts at second base, Jorge Mateo at shortstop and Kelvin Gutiérrez at third.

I’m away from the Orioles while they play on the West Coast, but my mailbag never leaves my side.

This is actually a lie. I’ve gone on vacation without it.

This is also a lie. I’ve sat in the exit row and strapped the bag to a seat in the back of the plane.

Anyway, I’m sorting through the questions and counting how many are fresh, how many are repeats, and how many are real. Put them together and we have our latest sequel to the original mailbag.

There is no editing for length, style or clarity. We welcome brevity with open arms. We invite it to dinner and insist that it bring only an appetite.

The Orioles close out their series in Oakland this afternoon with Tyler Wells on the mound and a chance to gain a split after last night’s 1-0 win – the team’s third shutout of the season.

Wells is making his third start after tossing four scoreless innings against the Yankees. He’s been stretched out to 64 pitches.

The rotation has registered a 1.13 ERA since April 11, the lowest in the majors, with five earned runs in 39 2/3 innings.

The Orioles and Giants have allowed three home runs, fewest in the majors. The Orioles and Mets are the only staffs with three shutouts.

On the offensive side, the Orioles’ four home runs and 24 runs scored are the fewest in baseball. The .585 OPS is the lowest in the American League and third-lowest in the majors.

As the Orioles move through the first series of their three-city road trip, hoping the weather allows them to play this afternoon in Oakland, the activity down in Sarasota is picking up in intensity. The daily routine is shifting into another gear.

There’s more to track than the major league club and four full-season affiliates. You just need to do some digging.

The Orioles are playing their first extended spring training game today against the Pirates. Veteran Matt Harvey, signed to a minor league contract on April 8, is making the start.

Harvey won’t be asked to provide much length, of course, since he’s been working out with the team for less than two weeks. But if you’re wondering how far along he is, well, he’s starting an extended spring training game.

Rico Garcia, who missed the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, will follow Harvey.

The Orioles have scored two runs while losing the first two games of their series in Oakland, but the rotation has allowed one run or fewer in five straight and seven of eight.

Tonight’s lineup includes Ryan McKenna in right field, Anthony Santander in left and Austin Hays on the bench.

Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter. Trey Mancini is starting at first base.

Kelvin Gutiérrez is playing third base and Chris Owings is the shortstop.

Owings is 0-for-7 with three walks and seven strikeouts.

The Triple-A Norfolk Tides are starting Grayson Rodriguez tonight against the Durham Bulls. Kyle Bradish is listed two nights later.

The Orioles are starting Jordan Lyles today in Oakland. Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann’s next turn is Friday night in Anaheim.

It’s virtually impossible to separate the two rotations.

The Orioles seemed unsure about their fifth starter before confirming Spenser Watkins. They’ve lost ace John Means for at least a significant portion of the season, and quite possibly the remainder of it.

Chris Ellis had his contract selected yesterday from Norfolk and he made last night’s start in Oakland. Watkins seems to have earned a third turn after allowing only one run and two hits Monday night over five innings. Look for him in Anaheim.

The Orioles selected the contract of right-hander Chris Ellis from Triple-A Norfolk, and he’s starting tonight against the Athletics in Oakland.

Ellis was on the taxi squad and the logical choice. Alexander Wells also is on the taxi squad but can’t pitch in the series unless he’s replacing an injured player. The Orioles optioned him Sunday morning.

That was the expected. What also happened today comes as more of a surprise.

A full 40-man roster required a corresponding move for Ellis, and the Orioles have designated former first-round draft pick DJ Stewart for assignment.

Stewart, the 25^th-overall selection in 2015 out of Florida State University, was optioned to Norfolk after making three pinch-hitting appearances in the opening series at Tropicana Field and going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. In two games with the Tides, he was 1-for-5 with a strikeout and stolen base.