Orioles manager Buck Showalter still hasn't posted his lineup for tonight's series opener against the Blue Jays. He's waiting on three players who are "banged up."
Manny Machado and Seth Smith are two of the players. Machado said his finger is much better today and joked that he "was benched" for yesterday's game in Detroit. Smith took a foul ball off his left cheek and had blurry vision by the ninth inning.
There are minor issues, Showalter said, that he wants to prevent from becoming...
DETROIT - The Orioles came home from a nine-day road trip with a black eye.
Losing six games by one run is bound to leave a mark.
The offense wakes up and the rotation regresses, placing a strain on the bullpen, impacting performances and forcing the club into making more roster moves. The Orioles need to find their center, to regain their balance. They can't count on outslugging teams every night.
Seth Smith doesn't have a black eye, but he's sporting a nasty red spot on his left cheek...
DETROIT - Dylan Bundy's streak of quality starts ended today at eight games. It went down with a loud crash, the only salvageable part being that the bullpen wasn't overused.
Bundy allowed a career-high six runs in six innings, with J.D. Martinez and Victor Martinez homering off him, and the Orioles fell to the Tigers 6-5 at Comerica Park.
Chris Davis, Adam Jones and Seth Smith homered for the Orioles, who went 1-6 on the road trip and are 23-16 overall. Their last six losses have been by one...
DETROIT - The Orioles were slow to post today's lineup for their series finale against the Tigers because manager Buck Showalter wanted to check the health of a couple players.
"Some little banged-up things," Showalter said. "Want to make sure if we decide to give somebody a day, who we'd give it to. Got enough people to choose from, that's for sure."
Shortly after the media left Showalter's office, another pregame scrum in the books, it became known that third baseman Manny Machado is...
DETROIT - Orioles third baseman Manny Machado is out of today's lineup due to a sore right index finger.
The discomfort in the finger apparently was caused by Machado fouling off a couple of pitches.
Machado has started all 38 games this season. He's batting .224/.308/.441 with six doubles, nine home runs and 23 RBIs.
Ryan Flaherty gets the start at third base today.
This isn't the worst game for Machado to sit out, considering his reaction last night to umpire CB Bucknor's ruling on his...
DETROIT - A rotation that receives its rightful share of criticism for its abbreviated outings can point to Dylan Bundy as a shining exception.
Bundy will try this afternoon to extend his streak of quality starts to nine. Not bad considering that Bundy is making his ninth start.
The Tigers have limited exposure to Bundy - his one relief appearance when he retired all four batters faced with two strikeouts at Camden Yards. He's never pitched at Comerica Park.
Mikie Mahtook is 2-for-2 against...
DETROIT - The warning signs were there, as plainly in view as the huge tigers perched atop the scoreboard in left field. Except only the tigers are fake.
Ubaldo Jiménez ran the count full tonight to three of the first four batters, issued two walks and threw 28 pitches in a scoreless first inning. He needed another 20 to complete the second inning while allowing two runs and losing an early lead, and 20 more in the third while stranding a pair of runners.
This is the bad Jiménez who shows...
DETROIT - The Orioles had another roster move in them before tonight's game against the Tigers.
Pitcher Miguel Castro has been recalled from Double-A Bowie, with left-hander Donnie Hart optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Castro will wear No. 50.
Castro made one relief appearance with the Baysox after leaving extended spring training and allowed one run and six hits over four innings. He didn't walk a batter.
The Orioles acquired Castro, 22, from the Rockies on April 7 for a player to be named or...
DETROIT - Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop made sure to hydrate after leaving last night's game with cramping in his right leg. A simple task that should keep him on the field.
Schoop tested the leg before batting practice by running in the outfield and moving side to side under the watch of assistant athletic trainer Brian Ebel.
"Everything's good," Schoop said. "There was a little bit of a cramp yesterday and I came in today and ran and did some things and I feel good."
Though a...
DETROIT - The Orioles designated catcher Francisco Peña for assignment this afternoon to create a spot for reliever Stefan Crichton on the 25-man roster.
So far, that's the only move announced by the Orioles.
Peña went 4-for-7 in three games and homered twice on Saturday to double his major league total.
The Orioles outrighted Peña on Feb. 15 after trading for Gabriel Ynoa, and he can refuse another assignment and become a free agent if he clears waivers.
Crichton could drive the...
DETROIT - Without a pair of cheaters in my laptop bag, it was a little more difficult yesterday to read between the lines as the Orioles made another roster move.
The Orioles are holding onto three catchers, but not for long. They're expected to part with Francisco Peña today - later than anticipated - and add a seventh reliever after carrying an expanded bench through the first 37 games of the season.
A second fresh arm could be added after manager Buck Showalter used up everyone last...
DETROIT - The Orioles can't seem to avoid testing the resiliency of their short bullpen. Even if it means running out of arms.
Wade Miley became the latest starter tonight who didn't work into the late innings, coming out after failing to retire a batter in the sixth, and the bullpen fumbled two more leads. A game stretched to 13 innings before the Tigers convinced everyone that they, indeed, have the worst bullpen in baseball.
Chris Davis hit his second home run of the night, a two-run shot...
DETROIT - The Orioles aren't expected to carry three catchers through the rest of the road trip that concludes Thursday afternoon.
Earlier today, the Orioles outrighted outfielder Craig Gentry to Triple-A Norfolk after he cleared waivers and they activated catcher Welington Castillo from the disabled list. They held onto backups Caleb Joseph and Francisco Peña as part of their five-man bench.
Asked about having three catchers, manager Buck Showalter replied, "Today, yes. Stay tuned."
"We...
DETROIT - The Orioles have outrighted outfielder Craig Gentry to Triple-A Norfolk to create a spot for catcher Welington Castillo on the 25-man roster.
Gentry is out of options and he passed through waivers.
It's a surprising move from the Orioles, who valued Gentry's contributions off the bench and didn't seem inclined to carry three catchers. However, they're holding onto Francisco Peña, who's also out of options.
Gentry was 6-for-37 (.162) with a double, home run, four RBIs and three...
DETROIT - Welington Castillo will be activated from the disabled list and start tonight in the series opener against the Tigers.
Castillo is batting seventh against Tigers left-hander Matt Boyd and catching left-hander Wade Miley for only the second time. He's currently taking earlier batting practice with a group that also includes Trey Mancini and Ryan Flaherty.
Mancini is in left field tonight, Joey Rickard is in right and Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter.
Orioles catchers lead the...
The Orioles' road trip continues tonight with a stop in Detroit, where they won two of three games last season while taking the season series 5-2.
Adam Jones was 13-for-26 with two doubles, three home runs and seven RBIs in the seven games.
The Orioles haven't swept the Tigers in a three-game series in Detroit since 2004. The Tigers' last home three-game sweep of the Orioles came in 2010.
A sweep isn't the first priority for the Orioles. They need to end their season-long four game losing...
The Orioles are expected to activate catcher Welington Castillo from the disabled list prior to Tuesday night's series opener against the Tigers at Comerica Park.
A team official said it sounds like Castillo will be ready, which will lead to another roster move.
Castillo was eligible to return on Thursday while the Orioles were in D.C., but they decided to send him on a short injury rehab assignment.
Castillo served as designated hitter in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader at Double-A...
When Orioles manager Buck Showalter posts his lineup for Tuesday night's game against the Tigers in Detroit, Trey Mancini won't be the first name listed. His leadoff days are, at the least, put on hold.
Mancini hadn't hit first at any stage of his life, from Little League to professional ball, until April 19 in Cincinnati. No designated hitter in a National League ballpark, limited options for the manager. Mancini joked that if people saw photos of him as a kid, they wouldn't ask whether he...
The Orioles have recalled left-hander Richard Bleier from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned left-hander Vidal Nuño to the Tides in the latest attempt to freshen up the bullpen.
Nuño has posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.750 WHIP in nine relief appearances over 12 innings. Bleier allowed one earned run (three total) over four innings in his only appearance with the Orioles.
Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy aren't in today's lineup for the series finale in Kansas City, as the Orioles try to snap their first...
Outfielder Cedric Mullins, who's emerged as an elite position prospect in the organization, continues to perform light baseball activities in Sarasota as he recovers from a left hamstring injury.
Mullins strained the hamstring on April 20 and the initial projection had him missing two weeks. He's batting .367/.406/.683 with five doubles, a triple, four home runs, 11 RBIs and 17 runs scored in 14 games.
It wasn't the fast track that caused the injury, but he's certainly on it.
The Orioles...