SAN FRANCISCO – Orioles infielder Vimael Machín is staying in the organization.

Machín cleared outright waivers today and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles designated Machín for assignment on Wednesday and selected Emmanuel Rivera’s contract from Norfolk.

Machín went 1-for-11 with a home run in his first major league action since 2022. He’s hitting .285/.344/.470 with 25 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 70 RBIs in 107 games with the Tides.

Reliever Matt Bowman was designated for assignment on Tuesday and reliever Roansy Contreras yesterday. The club hasn't announced the outcome of those transactions. 

Rather than subject my mailbag to another West Coast flight and jet lag, I decided to dump some of its contents back home and travel light.

Carry on.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original, which set box office records. It isn’t streaming anywhere, but I am … usually around 3 or 4 a.m.

If I did any editing, I’m keeping it to myself. No grand announcements about clarity, length, style or brevity. Sorry to cheat you out of that thrill.

Also, a reminder that my mailbag gets your mailbag in the camel clutch and won’t let go until it submits. Especially on hump day.

The business side of baseball reared up and bit reliever Roansy Contreras earlier today with news that the Orioles designated him for assignment to make room for right-hander Shawn Dubin.

Contreras finally got the call this week and made his Orioles debut last night, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings behind opener Dietrich Enns. He’s out of minor league options and would need to pass through waivers before the Orioles could outright him.

“Those are tough decisions,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “There was a lot of time spent on that, trying to figure out what the right thing to do was. We’ve got a lot of smart people who are looking at a lot of different type of information and trying to make the best decision they can.

“The coach in me wants him to get claimed because we want our players to play in the major leagues and get opportunities. The Baltimore Oriole in me wants him to get through and go unclaimed and be back in the fold for us.”

Dubin will be in the bullpen today.

Reliever Shawn Dubin has reported to the Orioles after a waiver claim from the Astros earlier this week. Roansy Contreras was designated for assignment to make room for him on the active roster.

The 40-man roster has 39 players.

Tough business. Contreras tossed 4 1/3 scoreless relief innings last night in his Orioles debut and is in limbo this morning.

"I'm very thankful to the Orioles organization for giving me the opportunity to be up in the big leagues and be here with them now,” he said last night. “So I'm very thankful for them.”

Contreras was the 65^th player used by the Orioles this season. Dubin can become the 66^th. Tyler Wells will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list when rosters expand and can become the 67^th if someone doesn’t beat him to it.

The expanded roster next month also lengthens the rotation to include a sixth starter, right-hander Tyler Wells, who pitched last night for Triple-A Norfolk on his rehab assignment and allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

He’s stretched out to 90 pitches. Turn him loose.

The Orioles will ride with Wells, Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Cade Povich. They apparently won’t deviate from the plan unless there’s an injury. Extra rest for everyone.

Brandon Young didn’t want to go on an extended break, but he’ll have to settle for his 12 major league starts this season and flirting with perfection in Houston. The final count shows more lows than highs, which explains his 6.24 ERA and 1.543 WHIP, but also the valuable experience and exposure that can elevate his game in 2026.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino said Young got “a lot” out of his time with the Orioles, which was cut short by a strained left hamstring.

The second pitch thrown by Roansy Contreras with the Orioles drilled Alex Bregman in the middle of the back. Bregman winced and bent forward as the Red Sox’s athletic trainer rushed onto the field. Contreras had followed an opener and raised a welt.

Contreras was a pain to the Red Sox for most of his outing, retiring 12 of 14 after Bregman reached base in the Orioles’ 3-2 loss before an announced crowd of 16,790 at Camden Yards. He tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings, with three hits allowed, and came close to earning his first win since July 28 with the Angels.

That reward went up in smoke in the ninth inning on Ceddanne Rafaela's two-run homer off Keegan Akin after Jarren Duran's leadoff single. Akin stood with his hands on his hips as the ball headed for the splash zone.

"I felt really good, especially because I had worked with (Samuel) Basallo down in Triple-A, so I think that made it much easier to go out there today and get the job done," Contreras said via interpreter Brandon Quinones.

"I'm very thankful to the Orioles organization for giving me the opportunity to be up in the big leagues and be here with them now. So, I'm very thankful for them."

The Orioles will switch to a six-man rotation after Tyler Wells is placed on the expanded roster next month.

Wells will become part of a unit that includes Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Cade Povich. The Orioles chose to start Wells rather than move him to the bullpen.

“If everybody can stay healthy, that would be great,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino.

“It’s good. It gives Dean an extra day, it gives Tomo an extra day. Nobody will pitch on regular rest the rest of the year.”

Bradish responded favorably to his first start beyond an injury rehab assignment last night since June 2024.

The Orioles are tampering with their roster again, with two more players coming in and two more going out.

Roansy Contreras was activated from the taxi squad and had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk, and he’ll work in bulk relief tonight, his first major league appearance since Sept. 29, 2024 with the Angels. He posted a 3.73 ERA in 28 appearances (14 starts) with Norfolk.

Infielder Emmanuel Rivera also had his contract selected.

To create room, the Orioles optioned Yaramil Hiraldo, who was charged with three runs last night in 1 1/3 innings and has a 5.65 ERA in 12 games, and they designated infielder Vimael Machín for assignment. They also transferred pitcher Brandon Young (hamstring) to the 60-day injured list, which ends his season.

Contreras will be the 64^th player used by the Orioles this season, two more than the franchise record set in 2021.

Kyle Bradish has stopped by the Camden Yards clubhouse in between rehab starts, but yesterday was different.

Teammates looked across the room and saw their starting pitcher.

They waited a long time for it.

Bradish made his return from elbow reconstructive surgery and struck out 10 batters in six innings. He allowed a pair of solo home runs among his four hits, and he didn’t issue a walk. The sinker was on point.

Having Bradish on the roster again is exactly what this club needs, no matter the outcome.

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.