Roch Kubatko

Orioles trading Milone to Braves (updated)

August 30, 2020, 6:00am

Orioles

The Orioles will need a starter for Monday's series finale against the Blue Jays. Left-hander Tommy Milone is headed to the Braves for two players to be named later. An industry source has confirmed multiple reports of the deal. The trade deadline is 4 p.m. Monday and Milone became an attractive chip with a 3.99 ERA, only 1.2 walks per nine innings and a career-high 9.5 strikeouts. Milone, 33, agreed to a minor league deal in spring training, made the club and rotation and provided two quality...

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Orioles remain intact as trade deadline looms

August 29, 2020, 6:20pm

Orioles

The trade deadline is 4 p.m. Monday and the Orioles haven't made any moves. Alex Cobb and Tommy Milone are still in the rotation. Mychal Givens and Miguel Castro are still in the bullpen. Hanser Alberto is still in the lineup at second or third base. Milone is starting Monday afternoon against the Blue Jays. Could be his last with the Orioles. Cobb made it through last night's game. No one was pulled from the on-deck circle. Is there a hug watch during social distancing? What's happening in...

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Orioles shut out for third time with 5-0 loss (updated)

August 29, 2020, 5:24pm

Orioles

Randal Grichuk chased a split-change from Alex Cobb tonight in the first inning, the ball diving toward the dirt, shook his head and walked back to the dugout. He looked mortal. Just a guy striking out in a major league game. Nothing to see here, except the Orioles actually kept him in the ballpark. The on-field ceremony was canceled with no fans in attendance to see it. Manager Brandon Hyde had Cole Sulser pitch to Grichuk in the 10th inning last night because of the guy on deck. The guy who...

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Orioles place Armstrong on injured list (and other notes)

August 29, 2020, 1:29pm

Orioles

The Orioles have placed reliever Shawn Armstrong on the 10-day injured list with soreness in his lower back. Evan Phillips has been recalled from the alternate camp site in Bowie. Armstrong has a 2.19 ERA and 0.892 WHIP in 11 appearances, with three walks and 12 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. He hasn't pitched since last Saturday and the IL move is retroactive to Wednesday. The team is calling the injury "left SI joint inflammation." "It's just a flare up," manager Brandon Hyde said during...

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Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays

August 29, 2020, 11:21am

Orioles

Chance Sisco is catching tonight and Pedro Severino is the designated hitter as the Orioles continue their series against the Blue Jays in Buffalo. Hanser Alberto moves back to second base and Rio Ruiz is at third. Ryan Mountcastle stays in left field. The Orioles have lost three games in a row and nine of 11 and are 2 1/2 behind the Blue Jays, who hold the eighth playoff spot in the American League. They're three games under .500 for the first time this season. Alex Cobb faced the Blue Jays...

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Hyde hearing players, maturity of Mullins and Tate, rotation and more

August 28, 2020, 6:46pm

Orioles

Hyde hearing players, maturity of Mullins and Tate, rotation and more

One of manager Brandon Hyde's finest traits is his ability to communicate with his players. Maybe it's an age thing. Maybe it's just his personality. But he's earned praise for it. Hyde also scores points because he listens. There's so much to dissect and digest from events this week. The hard discussions and postponed games. The raw emotion, which Hyde showed Thursday evening on a Zoom conference call while attempting to convey how he's been able to guide the club through difficult and...

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Orioles burned again by Grichuk in 5-4 loss in 10 innings (updated)

August 28, 2020, 6:00pm

Orioles

Pennant race baseball in Buffalo. Another unexpected touch to the 2020 season. The Orioles are playing meaningful games in the last weekend of August for the first time in three years. They trailed the Blue Jays by 1 1/2 games for the last playoff spot as the teams prepared to get back on the field after their respective postponements. The expansion of qualifiers made the impossible seem a little more attainable. The rest was up to the Orioles. Four games above .500 on Aug. 15 and beginning to...

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Notes on Harvey, Valdez, playing in Buffalo and more

August 28, 2020, 1:37pm

Orioles

Notes on Harvey, Valdez, playing in Buffalo and more

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has been saying that reliever Hunter Harvey should be activated from the injured list during the current road trip. There are four games left before the club returns home. Harvey is still expected to be activated. "There's a really good chance you'll see him toward the end of the series," Hyde said during today's Zoom conference call with the media. The latest Harvey update remains positive, and they come in almost daily increments. He was facing hitters at the...

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Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays

August 28, 2020, 11:43am

Orioles

Orioles catcher Pedro Severino is healthy again and behind the plate for tonight's game against the Blue Jays at Sahlen Field in Buffalo. Severino left Sunday's game against the Red Sox with tightness in his right hip, but he avoided the injured list. He wasn't in yesterday's lineup against the Rays before the Orioles decided not to play. Hanser Alberto is leading off and playing third base. Shortstop JosÃ© Iglesias, activated from the injured list yesterday, returns as the No. 3...

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Mullins at his best when bunting

August 27, 2020, 5:35pm

Orioles

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde will post his lineup again this afternoon, with a game expected to be played. In a minor league ballpark in Buffalo. There's a first time for everything. They keep coming in 2020. Cedric Mullins was supposed to be in center field last night before the Orioles voted not to play. He's likely to stay there tonight and bat leadoff or last. He has impressive range in the field and the lineup. Mullins leads the majors with six bunt hits, four more than the next closest...

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Orioles decided not to play following second team meeting

August 27, 2020, 4:58pm

Orioles

The initial decision by the Orioles and Rays to play tonight's series finale at Tropicana Field didn't hold. Conversations during batting practice led the Orioles to conduct a second team meeting, with only the players, who later invited manager Brandon Hyde into the room and shared their desire to skip the game. Hyde phoned Rays manager Kevin Cash and the sport had another postponement. And there would be more as the fight to eliminate racial injustice intensified after Sunday's police...

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Orioles decide to play tonight after emotional team meeting (updated)

August 27, 2020, 1:57pm

Orioles

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde left it up to his players whether they wanted to take the field tonight or pack up and leave. He was going to support their decision. Whichever way it leaned. The team has decided, without any resistance, to finish the series against the Rays at Tropicana Field. At least two more games have been postponed tonight to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. To bring more awareness to racial inequality. To make the boldest statement that sports can...

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Dwight Smith Jr. outrighted to alternate camp site

August 27, 2020, 10:41am

Orioles

Dwight Smith Jr. outrighted to alternate camp site

Outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. is staying in the Orioles organization. Smith has cleared waivers and been outrighted to the alternate camp site in Bowie, according to an industry source. The 60-man pool is holding 58 players. It had been reduced to 57 with left-hander Wade LeBlanc going on the 60-day injured list. The Orioles designated Smith for assignment on Saturday and selected outfielder Mason Williams' contract from the secondary camp. Smith was batting .222/.306/.365 with three doubles and...

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Hyde working to keep trade rumors from becoming distraction

August 26, 2020, 7:22pm

Orioles

Hyde working to keep trade rumors from becoming distraction

Players are kept in confinement this summer beyond their trips to the ballpark, where interactions are unavoidable but also narrowed. Arrive later than usual, dress for the games, have the option of showering or heading out immediately and repeat the process the next day. What can't be done is shielding them from trade rumors and speculation that builds as the deadline approaches. They swirl around the subjects, who find out via social media or friends and family. Manager Brandon Hyde is...

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Givens surrenders late home run in 4-3 loss (updated)

August 26, 2020, 6:07pm

Orioles

Givens surrenders late home run in 4-3 loss (updated)

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde had "an idea" last night, as he put it, that Trevor Richards would start for the Rays in the second game of the series. He was waiting for confirmation, which can be a sluggish process. They stick with TBD for as long as possible while sorting through their available candidates in the bullpen. Hyde thought the Rays might go with an opener in front of Richards. He didn't post the lineup until later, which made sense anyway because he had to check on the status of...

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Akin likely to stay in the bullpen (and other notes)

August 26, 2020, 1:43pm

Orioles

Akin likely to stay in the bullpen (and other notes)

The Orioles need a starter this weekend against the Blue Jays in Buffalo and left-hander Keegan Akin no longer appears to be an option. Manager Brandon Hyde seems to have narrowed his choices to Thomas Eshelman and Jorge LÃ³pez. Akin has been a starter throughout the minors, but perhaps not while the Orioles are chasing a playoff berth. While Hyde, in his own words, is in "win-now mode." "For us right now, Keegan fits in our bullpen the best," Hyde said today in his Zoom conference call...

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Hunter Harvey: "I'm feeling great right now"

August 26, 2020, 11:33am

Orioles

Hunter Harvey: "I'm feeling great right now"

Hunter Harvey doesn't know when he's going to be activated from the injured list and jump into a bullpen that's been missing him through the first half of the season. However, he's on the current road trip for a reason. He's getting close. "I'm feeling great right now," Harvey said today in a Zoom conference call with the media. "I've been feeling good for the last few weeks and hopefully here soon I'll be able to get back out there and start pitching in some big league games. So...

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Orioles and Rays lineups

August 26, 2020, 11:06am

Orioles

Pedro Severino remains on the bench tonight with discomfort in his right hip, leaving Bryan Holaday behind the plate as the Orioles continue their series against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Severino is day-to-day after leaving Sunday's game. Chance Sisco is the designated hitter. Hanser Alberto is batting second, followed by Anthony Santander. Ryan Mountcastle returns to left field after serving last night as the designated hitter. Pat Valaika is the shortstop after committing two throwing...

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This, that and the other

August 25, 2020, 6:14pm

Orioles

Pat Valaika sailed his second throw last night, again pulling first baseman Renato NÃºÃ±ez off the bag, and tried hard to exhibit better control of his emotions than he did of the baseball. Valaika removed his cap, exposing the thick blonde hair, and held it in his teeth while staring across the infield. He didn't bite through it, but only because of his restraint. Maybe it kept him from screaming. The frustration was evident. Two throwing errors that impacted Tommy Milone's start and led...

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Milone makes nice recovery in 4-2 loss (updated)

August 25, 2020, 5:22pm

Orioles

Milone makes nice recovery in 4-2 loss (updated)

Wade LeBlanc fell off the trade table with an elbow injury that brought a premature end to his season. Alex Cobb stays on it if the right team comes along that's willing to absorb the $15 million owed in 2021 or if the Orioles provide some salary relief. Then there's Tommy Milone, who could interest a contender as a back-of-the-rotation starter or swingman, though the return wouldn't necessarily accelerate the rebuild process. The veteran lefty has been a pretty solid addition this year,...