Orioles bring back Gentry (plus lineups)

Orioles bring back Gentry (plus lineups)
The Orioles have selected the contract of Triple-A Norfolk outfielder Craig Gentry to fill out their 25-man roster. They were down to 24 players with outfielder Hyun Soo Kim traded to the Phillies. New pitcher Jeremy Hellickson won't report to the team until Monday. The 40-man roster had a couple of openings before today's transaction. The Orioles are listing Ubaldo Jiménez, Dylan Bundy and TBD as starters for their series against the Royals that begins on Monday at Camden Yards....

Miley vs. Perez in series finale in Texas

Miley vs. Perez in series finale in Texas
Manager Buck Showalter remains noncommittal about Jeremy Hellickson's debut with the Orioles and whether he's going with a five- or a six-man rotation. Reporters in Texas couldn't pry the answer from him. Hellickson will join the club Monday in Baltimore. In the meantime, the rotation received another boost last night from Kevin Gausman, who came within an out of a complete-game shutout and has allowed only one run in his last 20 2/3 innings. The Orioles surrendered another minor league...

Orioles and Rangers lineups

Orioles and Rangers lineups
Caleb Joseph is behind the plate tonight as Kevin Gausman takes the mound at Globe Life Park and the Orioles try to stop a three-game skid. Seth Smith is in right field again, with Trey Mancini in left. The Orioles aren't listing their starters beyond left-hander Wade Miley on Sunday afternoon. No word yet on Jeremy Hellickson's debut following last night's trade with the Phillies. Also, no roster move has been announced. The Orioles have an extra pitcher and are short a bench player with...

More from Duquette on Hellickson trade

More from Duquette on Hellickson trade
Last night's trade with the Phillies that brought Jeremy Hellickson to the Orioles was born out of need and frustration. The Orioles need someone to give them a chance to win every five days and they're frustrated with a rotation that keeps providing early deficits and is lugging a 5.98 ERA. Executive vice president Dan Duquette sent outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, Double-A Bowie left-hander Garret Cleavinger and international signing bonus slots to the Phillies for a veteran starter who can become...

Orioles acquire Hellickson from Phillies

Orioles acquire Hellickson from Phillies
The Orioles lost another game tonight, but they gained a veteran starter for their rotation. Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson was acquired from the Phillies along with cash for outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, Double-A Bowie left-hander Garrett Cleavinger and international signing bonus slots. Hellickson was scratched from tonight's start. He's 6-5 with a 4.73 ERA 1.255 WHIP in 20 starts and has struck out only 65 batters in 112 1/3 innings. In eight major league seasons, Hellickson has gone 67-63 with...

Givens giving Orioles more reasons to consider bigger role

Givens giving Orioles more reasons to consider bigger role
If you've paid close attention to the rundown of available Orioles at the non-waiver trade deadline, you've noticed how reliever Mychal Givens is nowhere to be found. He doesn't enter the conversation. The door to that room seems to be locked and bolted. It would take a special offer to pry away Givens, who may be the closer-in-waiting as the Orioles remain open to moving Zach Britton, Brad Brach and Darren O'Day. Britton and Brach can become free agents following the 2018 season. Someone...

Orioles and Rangers lineups

Orioles and Rangers lineups
The Orioles begin a three-game series tonight against the Rangers with a pretty standard lineup. Trey Mancini is in left field and Seth Smith is in right against Rangers right-hander Andrew Cashner. Welington Castillo is catching. Jonathan Schoop is hitting .333 (30-for-90) this month with three doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBIs. His RBI total ranks second in the American League, his home runs are tied for third and his 30 hits are fifth. Orioles catchers lead the American League and rank...

Latest on DL Hall's debut

Latest on DL Hall's debut
As the Orioles continue to talk about finding another starter to upgrade their rotation, they've got a schedule set up for left-hander DL Hall to begin his professional career. Hall can't provide immediate assistance to the Orioles, but he has to start somewhere. It's happening, as expected, in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Hall will make his debut on Aug. 4 at noon against the GCL Rays at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota. The 21st overall pick this year out of Valdosta (Ga.)...

More Britton and tonight's game

More Britton and tonight's game
The Orioles will have a locker set up today for closer Zach Britton in the visiting clubhouse at Glove Life Park. He's still with the team. The Orioles still haven't jumped into the trade activity as the non-waiver deadline nears. Scouts are following the Orioles - you'll find them in every ballpark - and Britton has proven to be a difficult read. There are lingering concerns among some of them regarding Britton's health, though his velocity is up and there are no signs of the forearm...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
There's something almost sinful about wasting a quality start from Ubaldo Jiménez, who's registered five of them this season among his 16 outings. It's like the canteen scene in "Three Amigos" with Chevy Chase gargling and spitting out his water and dumping the rest in the desert sand while Steve Martin and Martin Short are practically dying of thirst. (YouTube it if the reference is lost on you. Martin's expression is priceless.) Jiménez made one bad pitch or none yesterday,...

Orioles lose game and series to Rays (with quotes)

Orioles lose game and series to Rays (with quotes)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - This one can't be laid entirely on Ubaldo Jiménez's shoulders. The home run was costly, but Jiménez offered quality. He was the good version of himself. But the offense didn't reach the same level. Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer off Jiménez with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and the Orioles were rationed to Jonathan Schoop's solo homer in a 5-1 loss to the Rays before an announced crowd of 18,430 at Tropicana Field. The Orioles drop the series...

Notes on rotation, Flaherty, Santander and Davis (O's down 3-1)

Notes on rotation, Flaherty, Santander and Davis (O's down 3-1)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles are starting Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman and Wade Miley in the three-game series against the Rangers that begins on Friday at Globe Life Park. The Rangers are listing Andrew Cashner for Friday and left-hander Martin Perez for Sunday. They haven't announced Saturday's starter. Manager Buck Showalter also confirmed that Dylan Bundy will be pushed back to Tuesday night against the Royals at Camden Yards. That would leave Ubaldo Jiménez for Monday night if...

Orioles and Rays lineups

Orioles and Rays lineups
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - First baseman Chris Davis has returned to the Orioles lineup after missing the last two games with a stomach virus. Seth Smith is in right field. Caleb Joseph is behind the plate as the Orioles try to win the series against the Rays. The Orioles are 4 1/2 games back for the second wild card and six games behind the first-place Red Sox. For the Orioles Adam Jones CF Manny Machado 3B Jonathan Schoop 2B Chris Davis 1B Mark Trumbo DH Trey Mancini LF Seth Smith RF Caleb Joseph...

Updating Britton situation and Jiménez's next chance

Updating Britton situation and Jiménez's next chance
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have one game remaining today against the Rays before flying to Dallas and inching closer to the non-waiver trade deadline that arrives on Monday. They're not conceding the 2017 season or the one that follows. They're not going to do a full teardown of the club like the great roster purge of 2000. They remain in the market for a starting pitcher, believing that an upgrade to the rotation could push them into the playoffs. There's enough room for two labels...

One bad inning for Miley leads to loss (with quotes)

One bad inning for Miley leads to loss (with quotes)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Wade Miley retired the side in order in the first inning tonight on only nine pitches. He made two-out walks insignificant in the third and fourth, and did the same with a one-out walk and hit batter in the fifth. No one reached in the sixth. No hits were surrendered, and most important, no runs. There are no do-overs or mulligans, however, and Miley is stuck with the second inning. It ruined his night and again slowed the Orioles' momentum. Miley allowed five runs, the...

More on Davis, Hardy, Machado and Tejada (O's down 5-4)

More on Davis, Hardy, Machado and Tejada (O's down 5-4)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter isn't certain whether first baseman Chris Davis will stay at Tropicana Field for tonight's game or head back to the team hotel, as he did last night because of a stomach virus. "Still weak," Showalter said. "It was a lot better today. Hopefully, he'll be able to start tomorrow. "He's lost a lot of fluids. You can read between the lines. Different ways to lose fluids. But I talked to him today. They think he's past the contagious...

Davis out of lineup again with "little viral bug"

Davis out of lineup again with "little viral bug"
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Orioles first baseman Chris Davis remains out of tonight's lineup because of a viral infection that has bothered his stomach for the past few days. "From what I got from the doctor yesterday, it's just kind of a little viral bug," he said. "You want the details?" I don't know. Do I? "Um ... I woke up two nights ago feeling pretty crummy," Davis continued. "Had some reflux. We'll use that word. Just kind of an uneasy stomach, wasn't able to keep anything down....

Orioles and Rays lineups

Orioles and Rays lineups
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Chris Davis remains out of the Orioles lineup tonight due to an illness. Davis didn't play last night and was examined by a Rays physician. Trey Mancini is starting at first base and Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter. Seth Smith is in left field, with Joey Rickard playing right. Ryan Flaherty joined a few teammates taking early batting practice today. For the Orioles Adam Jones CF Manny Machado 3B Jonathan Schoop 2B Mark Trumbo DH Trey Mancini 1B Seth Smith LF...

Miley's start, Jones atop the order and Gausman's grit

Miley's start, Jones atop the order and Gausman's grit
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Is it possible for a pitcher to better locate the strike zone after he's settled into his comfort zone? The Orioles are banking on Wade Miley to carry on his success against the Rays and inside Tropicana Field as they continue their three-game series. Miley is 4-3 with a 2.60 ERA and 1.075 WHIP in 10 career starts against the Rays over 62 1/3 innings. He faced them on April 25 at Camden Yards and allowed two runs and four hits over seven innings. Miley also walked six...

Gausman and three relievers team for 5-0 win (with quotes)

Gausman and three relievers team for 5-0 win (with quotes)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Kevin Gausman had no real margin for error tonight against the Rays. Bending was permitted as long as he snapped back into shape without even the tiniest of breaks. All of those meltdowns with a lead and with runners on base had to stay in the past. And that's precisely where Gausman kept them. Gausman navigated through a bases-load\ed jam in the bottom of the third inning to preserve a one-run lead and continued to blank the Rays after surrendering a leadoff triple in...