ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Coby Mayo is out of the Orioles’ lineup again tonight for the third consecutive game.

Austin Slater is in right field. Jackson Holliday moves down to eighth in the order.

Anthony Santander is the designated hitter. Colton Cowser, who had some wrist soreness last night, remains in left field and atop the order.

Corbin Burnes has made 23 starts and gone 12-4 with a 2.63 ERA and 1.058 WHIP in 143 2/3 innings. He has 18 quality starts but allowed a season-high five runs (four earned) in five innings in his most recent outing in Cleveland.

Burnes made his first career start against the Rays on June 10 at Tropicana Field and allowed two unearned runs in seven innings.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Coral Springs native Coby Mayo received only six ticket requests for his first major league game in his home state. His parents, two brothers and some friends comprised his most intimate cheering section last night.

They didn’t get to watch him play.

Mayo sat for the second straight game, but tonight offers the possibility of his fifth start and sixth appearance.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde won’t bury Mayo on the bench and he won’t write the rookie’s name on every lineup card. Hyde is searching for favorable matchups at the plate and third base.

Mayo is searching for his first hit. He’s 0-for-13 with two walks, both in his debut in Cleveland – and eight strikeouts. He’s simply the latest highly-rated prospect in the organization to make an entrance and stumble. Some of them figure it out without going back down and others, like Jackson Holliday this year and Colton Cowser in 2023, need a reset.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Zach Eflin didn’t receive a prolonged ovation as he walked out of the visiting dugout tonight at Tropicana Field. Rays fans didn’t get sentimental. They didn’t blow the roof off the joint in tribute to the guy they used to cheer. All they had to offer was a smattering of boos and then silence.

Eflin preferred to keep them quiet anyway, tossing seven shutout innings in the Orioles’ 4-1 victory over the Rays before an announced crowd of 20,673 inflated by a “flappy boi” zip-up hoodie giveaway.

The veteran right-hander was stingy, with only four hits allowed, one walk and seven strikeouts that tied his season high. He’s made three starts with the Orioles and they’ve been quality, with a combined five runs in 19 1/3 innings.

His seven innings tonight also matched his season high.

"That’s so good right there," said manager Brandon Hyde. "A little extra motivation pitching against a team that you were just with, and he’s made three outstanding starts for us. That was textbook pitching. He was ahead in the count, great sinker-cutter, changeup. He just really knows how to pitch and he was locating well all night."

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles made another move today to upgrade their infield depth at the Triple-A level, signing veteran Jean Segura to a minor league contract.

The news comes two days after corner infielder J.D. Davis agreed to terms on a similar deal.

Segura, 34, is a career .281/.327/.401 hitter in 12 major league seasons with six teams. He made the All-Star team with the Brewers in 2013 and Mariners in 2018 and placed 13^th in National League Most Valuable Player voting with the Diamondbacks in 2016.

The 2024 season was passing by without Segura, who didn’t play in the majors or minors. He appeared in 85 games with the Marlins last summer and hit .219/.277/.279.

The Marlins traded Segura to the Guardians on Aug. 1, 2013 in the Josh Bell deal, and he was released that day.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Zach Eflin returns to Tropicana Field tonight as an opposing pitcher, making his first start at Tampa Bay since the Rays traded him to the Orioles.

Eflin has two quality starts in his two outings with the Orioles, allowing a combined five runs and 15 hits in 12 1/3 innings. He’s walked only one batter.

Eflin has registered a 3.08 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) at Tropicana Field. He’s made two career appearances (one start) against the Rays and allowed four runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo are out of tonight’s lineup.

Jackson Holliday is batting sixth. Ramón Urías is playing third base.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Jackson Holliday is the humble, hot-shot prospect whose ceiling reaches the clouds. Eloy Jiménez is the former Silver Slugger Award winner whose career trajectory threatened to bounce him off the floor.

They may have little in common but they’re doing tremendous work as teammates - and for different reasons.

Holliday appeared to be overwhelmed in his first attempt against major league pitching, with only two hits and 18 strikeouts in 34 at-bats. The expectations were unreasonable, no matter how much talent he carried to the Orioles. Holliday turned 20 in December and began the 2023 season in low Class A. He played in only 18 games with Triple-A Norfolk before the International League playoffs.

Anyone who thought he’d hit the ground running after the Orioles selected his contract on April 10 underestimated the difficulty in hitting at this level. He didn’t make it through the month.

Holliday 2.0 is a different player – more relaxed and confident, staying behind the ball with that perfect swing, just letting his talent play. And he’s making people who suggested that he be offered in trades at the deadline look even more foolish.

Small sample sizes shouldn’t produce a chorus of long-term outlooks. The word “small” is the giveaway Baseball requires patience over the course of a 162-game season.

OK, we got that out of the way.

Left-hander Gregory Soto has made three appearances with the Orioles since the deadline trade with the Phillies. He’s allowed eight runs and nine hits and walked three batters in 1 1/3 innings. And his second outing was scoreless.

It wasn’t clean. Soto allowed two hits Sunday in two-thirds of an inning in Cleveland and was bailed out by Cedric Mullins’ outfield assist.

The first five Guardians batters reached against Soto Friday in his Orioles debut. He retired one and was removed.

The Orioles made the predictable roster move this afternoon by placing starter Grayson Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Sunday with right lat/teres discomfort, the reason why he didn’t pitch last night.

The unexpected also happened with outfielder Heston Kjerstad going on the 10-day injured list with concussion symptoms.

Kjerstad was optioned Thursday to Triple-A Norfolk, ending his third career major league stretch, but he didn’t report to the club. He’s dealing with the lingering effects of the Clay Holmes pitch that slammed into his ear flap and led to his placement on the seven-day concussion injured list on July 13.

The Orioles activated Kjerstad on July 20 and he went 2-for-18.

Today’s move, retroactive to Thursday, basically is a reversal of the option. He’s on the major league injured list.

The Orioles made a move today to address their infield depth.

A source confirmed that J.D. Davis has signed a minor league deal. The Yankees released him last week.

No, he can’t pitch.

Davis, 31, is a right-handed hitter with a career .257/.340/.425 line in eight major league seasons. He’s hit 72 home runs, including 22 with the Mets in 2019 and 18 with the Giants last year.

The Athletics signed Davis on March 16 and traded him to the Yankees on June 23. He batted a combined .218/.293/.338 in 46 games and was 2-for-19 with nine strikeouts with New York.

I’m using flashcards to learn the names of the new players. My family is quizzing me.

Their first question: How did we get stuck doing this?

For me it's like, is that Austin Slater? No? Oh, hey Blake Hunt. Is that Seranthony Domínguez? Nope? I was gonna say Gregory Soto. I swear.

One thing that never changes is my mailbag except for the weight of its contents.

You’ll have a long wait if you think I’m going to worry about clarity, length and style.

Grayson Rodriguez is likely going on the injured list again and the Orioles should be dizzy from heads spinning at the number of health issues striking this team.

Rodriguez was scratched from tonight’s start in Toronto after warming, and an explanation came halfway through the game. He’s experiencing right lat/teres discomfort.

If it sounds familiar, Rodriguez had the same discomfort in June 2022 at Triple-A Norfolk, right when he was on the verge of a major league promotion. He didn’t pitch again until September, exactly three months later.

It’s too soon to assume another three-month absence. A diagnosis is pending. But it isn’t too soon to wonder what is going on with the Orioles and how much more they can endure.

Rodriguez missed 2 ½ weeks with right shoulder inflammation earlier this season. Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells underwent elbow surgeries that keep them out for the rest of 2024 and a big chunk of 2025.

Hidden within the madness of the July 30 trade deadline, with its aggressive roster churn that resembled a tidal wave, was the Orioles' decision to recall Triple-A Norfolk catcher Blake Hunt. He made the trip from Charlotte to Baltimore in case backup James McCann went on the 10-day injured list. And the news barely created a ripple.

However, it was a wise move considering that McCann suffered multiple nasal fractures from a fastball to his face, a horrific scene that usually takes a player off the active roster and dumps him into a hospital bed.

McCann isn’t your typical player. He wears a protective mask when he bats. He gets his starts behind the plate. And Hunt, optioned the following day, gets to stick around on the taxi squad – the role usually occupied by David Bañuelos this season.

The team boarded its charter to Toronto after Sunday’s game at Progressive Field, but McCann hopped on a Southwest flight back to Baltimore to receive more medical attention on his nose. He prefers the exit row, according to industry sources with direct knowledge of his seating.

Major league field coordinator Tim Cossins also works as the Orioles' catching instructor. He played the position at the University of Oklahoma, in the minors with three organizations and in independent ball. He can relate to the abuse that the body takes, including the foul ball Sunday that nailed Adley Rutschman in the groin area, causing an entire ballpark to grimace.

The 29^th anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr. breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive-games record arrives on Sept. 6, with time seeming to fly at warp speed.

The best way to celebrate the occasion? By sending baseball’s Iron Man into the Bird Bath.

The club posted a video earlier today on the former Twitter announcing that Ripken, one of the minority owners in David Rubenstein’s group, will serve as guest splasher for the Sept. 6 game against the Rays at Camden Yards.

Ripken is shown receiving the news at his desk inside the B&O warehouse, with “Mr. Splash” informing the Hall of Famer that his new office is in Section 86 next to the bullpen area where fans get drenched after an extra-base hit, or sometimes just on a whim.

“Finally,” Ripken says before pulling out an inflatable pink flamingo and floppy hat from his desk.

CLEVELAND - A sense of calm finally settled over Cleveland yesterday. Two professional wrestling events over the weekend drew huge crowds at the arena and football stadium. Comedian Martin Lawrence’s standup tour made a stop at the arena. The city hosted the 2024 World Yo-Yo contest, which had its ups and downs. The Guardians inducted pitcher CC Sabathia into their Hall of Fame and welcomed back team legends like Mike Hargrove, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton and Andre Thornton. And an hour’s drive away were the NFL Hall of Fame inductions in Canton.

Hotel space was limited. Rooms cost the approximate amount of a home mortgage.

Interesting to learn that Cleveland is the entertainment capital of the world.

There’s also the craziness of the Guardians losing Shane Bieber to Tommy John surgery and James Karinchak to a shoulder injury and being the only .600 team in baseball. And the Residence Inn a few blocks from the ballpark being perhaps the only hotel in the U.S. that doesn’t have a water dispenser to refill bottles – not even in the “fitness center.” Wanna hydrate? It’s gonna cost you.

What else did we find out?

CLEVELAND – Five runs scored against Corbin Burnes today, his most with the Orioles. Any chance at a 19^th quality landed in the center field seats in the fifth inning. An abnormal result from the reliable ace.

Eloy Jiménez was in the lineup against a right-hander and collected three hits in his first three at-bats, including a run-scoring single in the third. Didn’t see that one coming, either.

Baseball’s unpredictability surfaced again today and the Orioles were happy to settle for a split of their four-game series against the Guardians, with home runs by Jackson Holliday and Gunnar Henderson contributing to a 9-5 victory before an announced crowd of 33,628 at Progressive Field.

"It’s tough to be consistent offensively, but the quality of the at-bat was much better these past two days," said manager Brandon Hyde. "Give our guys a lot of credit for getting a split out of here. That’s a tough place to play, a tough team to play. Kind of getting our butts kicked the first two games, the way we responded and swung the bat the last two games has been nice.”

Henderson’s two-run shot in the fourth inning was his 29^th homer and first since the break, and the Orioles raised their record to 67-46 heading into an off-day in Toronto.

CLEVELAND – The Orioles go for the series split this afternoon with their largely left-handed lineup that includes Colton Cowser batting leadoff. He’s built a 16-game hitting streak, one shy of Trey Mancini’s club rookie record.

Cowser is batting .383 (23-for-60) with three doubles, four home runs, 15 RBIs and a 1.075 OPS during his streak. He’s also reached base in 18 consecutive games, the longest active stretch in the American League.

Jackson Holliday, who’s 5-for-14 since returning to the majors, is batting ninth. Coby Mayo remains at third base and searching for his first major league hit.

Right-handed hitting Eloy Jiménez is the designated hitter, with Ryan Mountcastle on the bench.

Adley Rutschman is catching. His pinch-hit triple last night was the first for the Orioles since Austin Hays on Aug. 28, 2021.

CLEVELAND - Ryan Mountcastle doesn’t feel old. He’s just a product of his environment.

Mountcastle at age 27 is the respected elder of the Orioles redesigned infield. He scans the diamond and sees 20-year-old second baseman Jackson Holliday, 23-year-old shortstop Gunnar Henderson and 22-year-old third baseman Coby Mayo. Muscles begin to ache and he fights the urge to drive with his blinker on or write a check at the grocery store.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Mountcastle said. “For how young they are, how talented these kids are, it’s pretty remarkable. I guess being 27, the old guy in the infield, is pretty crazy.

“I guess I’m the mentor. I was coming up to bat (Friday) and I was like, ‘All right, you guys better drive papa in today.’”

I shared a STATS note Friday that the quartet was the fifth-youngest in Orioles history at 23 years and 169 days. The leaders are shortstop Ron Hansen (20), third baseman Brooks Robinson (21), second baseman Jerry Adair (21) and first baseman Bob Hale (24) at 22 years and 47 days on Sept. 28, 1958.

CLEVELAND – The standings and lineup didn’t look right.

A Yankees victory earlier in the day dropped the Orioles into second place in the division. Manager Brandon Hyde attacked Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo by giving Austin Slater and Eloy Jiménez their first starts since the trade deadline. Slater led off, bumping Colton Cowser down to seventh.

Hyde was hoping that Slater could give his club “a little spark” and might “get us going.”

Slater doubled into the left field corner in the first inning and reached on a bunt single in the fifth. Jiménez lined a run-scoring single into left field in the fourth and singled to begin the sixth.

The newcomers left their mark, including starter Zach Eflin, who posted another quality start. But Hyde also knew when to turn to the holdovers. Pick specific players for matchups and push the right buttons.

CLEVELAND – Austin Slater is leading off for the Orioles tonight in a right-handed version of their lineup.

Ryan Mountcastle is batting second. Eloy Jiménez makes his first start as the designated hitter. Coby Mayo is at third base.

Adley Rutschman is on the bench. Jackson Holliday stays at second base.

Zach Eflin makes his second Orioles start after allowing three runs and 10 hits in six innings against the Blue Jays in his debut. His only career start against the Guardians, on Aug. 13, 2023, was a struggle as he gave up six runs and nine hits in three innings. Andrés Giménez homered.

Eflin has never pitched at Progressive Field.

CLEVELAND – Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias phoned Coby Mayo on Wednesday morning after the trade deadline passed to review the club’s handling of their No. 3 prospect. To go over again why he remained at Triple-A Norfolk and to make certain that he understood the club's thinking and how much the front office believed in him. Stay patient and the call will come.

Mayo got it the following night.

Have your passport handy for the upcoming Toronto trip and hop on a morning flight to Cleveland.

Mayo insisted yesterday that he didn’t know about his promotion before manager Buck Britton told him Thursday night. He wasn’t alerted in the morning or able to figure it out after his removal from the game.

“Sometimes, you can make sense of the situation and what’s going on,” he said, “but I definitely did not know that I’d be here today.”