Roch Kubatko

Bullpen collapse in eighth buries Orioles in 8-3 loss (updated)

May 24, 2021, 7:36pm

Orioles

No matter the result tonight, the Orioles obviously knew that they had the right pitcher on the mound to start the game John Means is celebrated as if deserving of his own day. His achievements and rankings among major league and American League leaders could fill an entire page of the team's game notes. The Orioles, losers of six in a row and 13 of 15 going into Minnesota, needed Means only to be himself and then hope that the offense could unearth a few runs of support. That the bullpen,...

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Ruiz lost on waiver claim and tonight's Orioles lineup (updated)

May 24, 2021, 1:19pm

Orioles

The Rockies claimed Rio Ruiz off waivers from the Orioles this afternoon, assuring that the infielder won't be staying in the organization via an outright assignment. Ruiz was designated for assignment after going 15-for-90 with 29 strikeouts. The Orioles selected Stevie Wilkerson's contract from Triple-A Norfolk and he's sharing second base with Pat Valaika, getting the starts versus right-handers. Wilkerson is in the lineup tonight for the series opener in Minnesota. The Orioles claimed...

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Leftovers for breakfast

May 23, 2021, 5:09pm

Orioles

The return of Anthony Santander from the injured list gives manager Brandon Hyde more outfield choices. It also gives him a cleanup hitter, the early numbers dismissed with a wave of the bat. Santander was slashing .196/.230/.321 with a double, two home runs, two walks and 17 strikeouts in 62 plate appearances before spraining his left ankle in Miami. But he's a presence in the lineup, someone that the opposition must account for, a threat to produce runs from both sides of the plate. Too bad...

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Early lead disappears again and Orioles are swept (updated)

May 23, 2021, 12:19pm

Orioles

Austin Hays was plopped in the leadoff spot today and lined a single into right field to start the game. Freddy Galvis singled to right. Trey Mancini singled to right for his 23rd RBI this month. The opposite-field approach was interrupted only briefly. Manager Brandon Hyde and hitting coach Don Long had to be mentally high-fiving each other. Anthony Santander pulled a 3-0 sinker into left field for a run-scoring single and Maikel Franco doubled to right for an RBI. Four of the first six...

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Orioles recall Waddell (updated)

May 23, 2021, 7:24am

Orioles

The Orioles made one bullpen swap today, recalling left-hander Brandon Waddell from Triple-A Norfolk and optioning Travis Lakins Sr. to the Tides. Waddell, a waiver claim from the Twins, made his Norfolk debut Friday night and tossed a scoreless inning. He's wearing No. 49. The bullpen is loaded with lefties now, including Paul Fry, Tanner Scott and Keegan Akin. Waddell has pitched in six major league games over parts of the last two seasons and allowed six earned runs (seven total) and 12...

Orioles trying to find some relief

May 22, 2021, 5:31pm

Orioles

Whether the Orioles make a roster move this morning seems less compelling than exactly how many. Is one reliever sufficient after yesterday's 12-9 loss? Manager Brandon Hyde hinted at the possibility of multiple pitchers joining the team in D.C. today, though as I wrote Friday night, there are 40-man roster complications. Another starter didn't get deep into yesterday's game, with rookie Bruce Zimmermann lasting only three innings and the Orioles surrendering leads of 5-0 and 6-1. Hyde used...

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Orioles lineup vs. Nationals

May 22, 2021, 9:55am

Orioles

Freddy Galvis moves up to second in the order this afternoon as the Orioles continue their series against the Nationals in D.C. Austin Hays is on the bench today. Ryan Mountcastle gets the set in left field with no designated hitter. Pat Valaika is the second baseman. Cedric Mullins is hitless in his last three games, 2-for-19 in his last five and is now batting .292/.361/.480. He stays in the leadoff spot. Rookie Bruce Zimmermann is making his seventh start, earning the assignment with one run...

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austin hays brandon hyde bruce zimmermann cedric mullins freddy galvis hunter harvey orioles pat valaika ryan mountcastle trey mancini lineup

Orioles promote Bradish to Triple-A

May 22, 2021, 6:55am

Orioles

The Orioles are bumping one of their top pitching prospects to a higher level. Right-hander Kyle Bradish, part of the return from the Angels in the Dylan Bundy trade in December 2019, has been promoted from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk. Bradish, 24, made three starts with the Baysox in his first season above Single-A and dominated with 13 2/3 scoreless innings, seven hits allowed, five walks and 26 strikeouts. Opponents batted .149 against him. MLBPipeline.com ranks Bradish as the No. 12...

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This, that and the other

May 21, 2021, 6:55pm

Orioles

The removal of Rio Ruiz from the Orioles organization, for however long while he's been designated for assignment, carries us back to the spring debate over whether there was a spot for him after the signing of free agent third baseman Maikel Franco. I assumed no, since they played the same position, Ruiz didn't profile as a utility player and he had minor league options. But there was the complication of fitting him on Triple-A Norfolk's roster, because the Orioles wanted Rylan Bannon to...

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LÃ³pez falters in fifth and offense late to fire up in 4-2 loss (updated)

May 21, 2021, 6:01pm

Orioles

LÃ³pez falters in fifth and offense late to fire up in 4-2 loss (updated)

The Orioles gambled today by leaving their tired bullpen intact and counting on Jorge LÃ³pez to provide some length. But they didn't necessarily bypass an obvious solution. The pitching staff at Triple-A Norfolk isn't loaded with 40-man options. Hard decisions are pending, with Hunter Harvey's return from the 60-day injured list, perhaps by early June, just one of them. Manager Brandon Hyde wasn't going to use a couple of his relievers tonight after an exhausting homestand. Finding a hot...

Hyde on bullpen, Valdez and baseball's unwritten rule

May 21, 2021, 1:24pm

Orioles

Hyde on bullpen, Valdez and baseball's unwritten rule

A bullpen that surrendered 25 earned runs in 34 innings on the homestand, and needed utility player Stevie Wilkerson to cover the ninth yesterday, won't undergo any changes in the series opener against the Nationals in D.C. The only roster move announced today involved outfielder Anthony Santander's reinstatement from the injured list. "We did consider it," manager Brandon Hyde said in his Zoom call with the media. "We're pretty banged up, so would love to get some innings out of Lopie...

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Santander reinstated from IL (plus lineups)

May 21, 2021, 12:34pm

Orioles

Santander reinstated from IL (plus lineups)

The Orioles reinstated outfielder Anthony Santander from the injured list today, the obvious corresponding roster move after they optioned Ryan McKenna to Triple-A Norfolk. Santander is in tonight's lineup against the Nationals in D.C., batting cleanup and playing right field. He's going to be facing Stephen Strasburg, who's coming off the injured list. Santander has been on the IL since April 20 with a sprained left ankle. "Basically, the timetable was two-to-four weeks depending on how I...

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Agent's role in convincing Valdez to sign before closing

May 20, 2021, 2:06pm

Orioles

Agent's role in convincing Valdez to sign before closing

To get CÃ©sar Valdez into the Orioles organization and eventually their bullpen and anoint him the closer based on his usage moreso than spoken words, he first had to be convinced to leave Mexico and trust the people closest to him. To regain his love of pitching in the majors, or at least the idea of it, rather than view the possibility through a skeptical lens. Valdez's success story entertains because of the dead-fish changeup that's just one separator from the traditional closers....

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Orioles' home woes worsen in 10-1 loss (McKenna optioned)

May 20, 2021, 11:50am

Orioles

The fascination with the Orioles' poor home record builds with each defeat. The demands for a simple explanation grow along with the loss total. Here's a simple truth that played out again this afternoon: Location of the game doesn't matter if pitch location isn't precise. Rookie Dean Kremer surrendered a pair of home runs in the second inning, the Rays flexing their muscle throughout the series, the bullpen labored again and the Orioles were beaten 10-1 to complete the sweep. The Orioles...

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Santander making trip to D.C.

May 20, 2021, 7:58am

Orioles

The Orioles lineup for Friday night's game against the Nationals in D.C. is going to include outfielder Anthony Santander. Santander is done with the protocol process and ready to appear in his first game since April 20, when he sprained his left ankle in Miami. He's batting .196/.230/.321 with a double, two home runs, two walks and 17 strikeouts in 62 plate appearances. "He's been a big part of our offense the last few years," manager Brandon Hyde said in his Zoom call. "He's a guy that...

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Orioles removing fan capacity restrictions (plus today's lineups)

May 20, 2021, 6:51am

Orioles

The Orioles announced today that they'll no longer operate under crowd capacity restrictions at Camden Yards beginning June 1. The 25 percent limit is lifted. Tickets for all remaining home games will go on sale at noon on Wednesday, May 26. The Orioles will offer a two-hour online presale to fans who subscribe to the free digital Insider Newsletter. Social distancing will no longer be required between groups of ticket holders. Pod seating will continue to be available in select sections for...

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O's can't hold five-run lead with ace dealing, lose 9-7 (updated)

May 19, 2021, 6:17pm

Orioles

O's can't hold five-run lead with ace dealing, lose 9-7 (updated)

The questions keep following John Means. They just change in nature. In Seattle, it was whether he would actually complete a no-hitter. In Queens, N.Y., it was how he'd respond after throwing 113 pitches and making history. Tonight's unknown was born from the seven days between starts. Would he be too fresh? His first pitch hitting the backstop on the fly, his command flickering like a bad bulb. Means' fastball was 93-95 mph in an eight-pitch first inning, all of them strikes. He retired the...

Orioles injuries mounting on 40-man roster

May 19, 2021, 3:03pm

Orioles

The Orioles are carrying a full 40-man roster and counting the number of injured players. Increases that are painful on a number of fronts. Relievers Hunter Harvey, Dillon Tate and Rule 5 pick Mac Sceroler are in various stages of recovery from oblique, hamstring and shoulder ailments, respectively. Harvey is on the 60-day injured list and doesn't count against the 40-man, but he also hasn't been an option for a team that's working up a sweat trying to keep its bullpen fresh. First baseman...

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Elias updates Davis, Martin, Harvey and Kjerstad

May 19, 2021, 1:58pm

Orioles

Elias updates Davis, Martin, Harvey and Kjerstad

A knee injury limited Chris Davis to 16 games last summer. Today's hip surgery prevents him from joining the active roster and playing in 2021. The countdown to the end of Davis' franchise-record $161 million contract is accelerating, though the deal includes deferred payments through 2037. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias provided the update this afternoon in a Zoom call, the first of any substance since Davis was shut down following the exhibition opener. Two at-bats and...

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Chris Davis undergoes hip surgery (plus Orioles and Rays lineups)

May 19, 2021, 11:55am

Orioles

Orioles first baseman Chris Davis won't play in 2021 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery today in Dallas to repair the labrum in his left hip. Davis received two at-bats in the first exhibition game and didn't play again. The Orioles anticipate that he's going to be full-go for 2022 spring training, the final year of his franchise-record seven-year, $161 million contract. Davis tried to rehab the injury back home and finally decided on the surgery, according to Orioles executive vice...