The Washington Nationals selected the contracts of infielder Jake Alu, left-handed pitcher Matt Cronin, outfielder Jeremy De La Rosa, left-handed pitcher Jose Ferrer, right-handed pitcher Jake Irvin and right-handed pitcher Jackson Rutledge on Tuesday. Additionally, the Nationals designated right-handed pitcher Tommy Romero for assignment while outfielder Yadiel Hernandez, left-handed pitcher Evan Lee and right-handed pitcher Jackson Tetreault cleared outright waivers and were assigned to Triple-A Rochester. On Monday, Nov. 14, the Nationals requested unconditional release waivers on left-handed pitcher Seth Romero. On Thursday, Nov. 10, catcher Tres Barrera and left-handed pitcher Francisco Pérez cleared outright waivers. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

Alu, 25, led Washington’s Minor League system in average (.299), slugging percentage (.506), OPS (.871), doubles (40), extra-base hits (62) and total bases (254) and tied for first in RBI (81) in 2022. He ranked second in on-base percentage (.365) and hits (150) while appearing in 132 games between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester.

The left-handed hitting Alu finished the 2022 campaign on a season-high 20 game on-base streak, hitting safely in 19 of the 20 contests. He recorded two separate hitting streaks of 14 games from June 28-July 16 and Sept. 11-Sept. 27.

At third base, Alu led all of Minor League Baseball (infielders and outfielders) with 17 defensive runs saved, according to Baseball Info Solutions. In addition to his 114 games at third base, Alu also spent time at second base (9 games) and designated hitter (6 games).

Alu was selected in the 24th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of Boston College. He was signed by Nationals scout John Malzone.

Tres Barrera and Francisco Pérez have cleared outright waivers and the Nationals have assigned their contracts outright to Triple-A Rochester.

Additionally, all 60-day Injured List players have been reinstated to the 40-man roster, which now stands at 39.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves: 

• Reinstated LHP John Means from the 60-day Injured List.
• OF Yusniel Diaz has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

The 40-man roster is at 34 players.

The Baltimore Orioles have declined the 2023 club option on RHP Jordan Lyles.

The Orioles today announced their 2023 Major League Coaching Staff. The club has named CODY ASCHE Offensive Strategy Coach. All other coaches remain in their same positions: MATT BORGSCHULTE and RYAN FULLER as Co-Hitting Coaches, TIM COSSINS as Major League Field Coordinator/Catching Instructor, FREDI GONZÁLEZ as Bench Coach, JOSÉ HERNÁNDEZ as Major League Coach, DARREN HOLMES as Assistant Pitching Coach, CHRIS HOLT as Pitching Coach/Director of Pitching, TONY MANSOLINO as Third Base Coach, and ANTHONY SANDERS as First Base Coach. 

Asche (ASH-ee), 32, has been promoted to the Major League staff after serving as Upper-Level Hitting Coordinator in 2022, his first season in the Orioles organization. He began his professional coaching career in 2021 as the hitting coach for the Clearwater Threshers, the Low-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Asche’s Major League playing career spanned parts of five seasons with the Phillies (2013-16) and Chicago White Sox (2017). He was originally selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft. A native of St. Charles, Mo., Asche attended the University of Nebraska and Fort Zumwalt West High School in O’Fallon, Mo.

BRANDON HYDE enters his fifth season as Manager after being named to the post prior to the 2019 campaign. In 2022, he led the Orioles to an 83-79 record, their first winning season since 2016 (89-73). He was voted the Sporting News AL Manager of the Year by fellow American League managers and has been named a finalist for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America AL Manager of the Year award.

Borgschulte and Fuller return for their second seasons as Co-Hitting Coaches and second and fourth seasons in the organization, respectively. Cossins returns for his fifth season as Major League Field Coordinator/Catching Instructor and his 22^nd as a professional manager, coach, or Major League bullpen catcher. González enters his fourth season with the Orioles organization, fourth as Bench Coach, and 34^th as a professional coach or manager, 10 of which were as a Major League manager. Hernández enters his fifth season on the Major League staff and 14^th as a coach in the Orioles organization. Holmes enters his fourth season with the Orioles and third as Assistant Pitching Coach after being promoted to the position following the 2020 season, while Holt enters his third season as the Orioles Pitching Coach/Director of Pitching and fifth in the organization. Mansolino enters his third season as the club’s Third Base Coach and Sanders enters his fourth season as First Base Coach.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Agreed to terms with OF Jake Cave on a one-year contract for the 2023 season.
• RHP Chris Ellis has elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.
• C Aramis Garcia has elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

Washington Nationals Philanthropies, the official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals, today announced plans to honor Ryan Zimmerman with the Power of Baseball Award, presented by The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation, at its annual fundraising gala in March. The first-ever player drafted by the Nationals, Zimmerman went on to play 17 seasons with the organization – including an historic World Series championship run – before retiring earlier this year. Aptly nicknamed “Mr. National,” Zimmerman has proven himself a leader on the field and in the community. He is the first current or former player to receive the foundation’s Power of Baseball Award, which annually recognizes an individual, corporation, organization or local group that embodies the positive character and level of achievement exemplified throughout the game of baseball.

“From the beginning, Ryan has represented the level of excellence and commitment to community that reflect the core values of the Washington Nationals organization,” said Marla Lerner Tanenbaum, founding chair and board member of Washington Nationals Philanthropies and president of The Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Foundation. “Through installations like the first local Legacy Field to carry the name of a Nationals player and his impressive commitment to supporting families affected by Multiple Sclerosis through his foundation, the Zimmerman name will forever be connected with the positive impact he’s had on this city.” 

In 2006, Zimmerman established ziMS Foundation to raise money and awareness for programs benefiting those afflicted with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that has affected his family personally. Serving as the foundation’s president, Zimmerman is actively involved in decision-making and donates his time, money and image to promoting the foundation. ziMS Foundation has raised more than $4 million for organizations dedicated to the fight against MS.

Zimmerman is the largest individual donor to Nationals Philanthropies over the past decade and has been a consistent supporter of the Scholar Athletes at the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, having visited the program numerous times over the years. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Zimmerman and his wife Heather spearheaded a relief campaign to provide health care professionals with support, resources and meals. During his playing career, Zimmerman was the club’s Roberto Clemente Award nominee six times and received the “Good Guy” Award by D.C. media twice since it was first established in 2016. 

“When it came time to select the next honoree for the Power of Baseball Award, Ryan was a no-doubter,” said Tal Alter, CEO of Nationals Philanthropies. “His notable generosity is matched only by his authenticity and devotion to the causes he supports. We look forward to joining with supporters and fans next spring to honor the philanthropic impact and legacy of ‘Mr. National’.”

Rawlings today announced that RAMÓN URÍAS has been named the 2022 American League Gold Glove Award recipient at third base. The award is voted on by Major League managers and coaches, which accounts for 75 percent of the selection process. The other 25 percent is based on the SABR Defensive Index™ (SDI).

Urías, 28, led AL third basemen and finished third among all AL fielders with an 11.1 SDI. He was 3.9 SDI better than the next qualified AL third baseman. Urías’ SDI is the best by an Orioles fielder since J.J. HARDY’S 11.9 in 2016 and the best by a Baltimore third baseman since MANNY MACHADO’S 11.8 in 2015. SDI is a measure of the number of runs saved by a player's defensive performance over the course of a season, compared to the average defensive player at that position. The SDI combines measures from six different defensive data sources and includes factors that rate a defender’s arm strength and accuracy, range and sure-handedness, and the number of “excellent” and “poor” fielding plays made.

He also led AL third basemen with 14 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), per Sports Info Solutions, and with a 10.9 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), per FanGraphs. Urías’ DRS is the best in a single season by an O’s third baseman since Machado’s 18 in 2015. His UZR is the best by an Orioles defender since Hardy’s 11.4 in 2014 and the best by a Baltimore third baseman since Machado’s 20.8 in 2013. Both DRS and UZR take a variety of game situations into account including infielders’ performance on balls hit in the air, range, throwing success, double play ability, fielding bunts, and the impact of good plays/misplays that are not accounted for in other components.

Urías tied for the AL lead among third basemen with seven Outs Above Average (OAA), per Statcast. Since MLB began tracking in 2016, his OAA are tied with Machado for the most by an Orioles third baseman. OAA is a range-based metric of skill that shows how many outs a player has saved.

This season, he finished with eight errors in 259 total chances at third base for a .969 fielding percentage and nine errors in 350 combined total chances between second base, third base, and shortstop for a .974 overall fielding percentage.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Outrighted C Aramis Garcia to Triple-A Norfolk.
• Reinstated RHP Chris Ellis from the 60-day Injured List and outrighted him to Triple-A Norfolk.

The 40-man roster is at 39 players.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Claimed C Aramis Garcia off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.
• Claimed C Mark Kolozsvary (COLES-very) off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds.
• Designated RHP Louis Head for assignment.
• Designated RHP Beau Sulser for assignment. 

The 40-man roster remains at 40 players.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Claimed OF Jake Cave off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.
• Designated RHP Jake Reed for assignment.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of C Anthony Bemboom from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Designated RHP Anthony Castro for assignment.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• Added LHP Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk to serve as the 29^th man for today’s doubleheader.

Tonight’s scheduled game between the Orioles and Blue Jays has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a traditional (single-admission) doubleheader on Wednesday, October 5. The first game will begin at 12:35 p.m. ET, followed by game two approximately 30 minutes after the first game concludes. Gates will open to fans at 12:00 p.m.

Tickets for the October 5 game will be valid for both games of the doubleheader. 

Tickets for tonight’s postponed game will not be valid for the October 5 doubleheader. Fans can exchange the value of their ticket toward Wednesday’s doubleheader or for any 2023 regular season April home game, excluding the Orioles home opener, after 2023 single game tickets have become available for purchase. For more information and updates about ticket options for games impacted by weather, please visit Orioles.com/Weather. 

Complimentary tickets are non-exchangeable.

Fans who purchased tickets on StubHub for tonight’s game will need to contact StubHub regarding their policy for postponed events.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled RHP Yennier Cano from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Placed RHP Félix Bautista on the 15-day Injured List with left knee discomfort, retroactive to October 1.

The Orioles today announced that catcher ADLEY RUTSCHMAN has been voted the winner of the 2022 Louis M. Hatter Most Valuable Oriole Award by members of the local media who cover the team on a regular basis. He will be recognized for his accomplishments in an on-field ceremony prior to tonight’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Rutschman becomes the third rookie to be named the winner of the award since its inception in 1954, joining right-handed pitchers GREGG OLSON in 1989 and RODRIGO LÓPEZ in 2002. He is just the third catcher to be named Most Valuable Oriole, along with GUS TRIANDOS in 1958 and CHRIS HOILES in 1993.

Rutschman enters play today slashing .254/.361/.448 (100-for-393) with 35 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 70 runs scored, 42 RBI, 63 walks, 176 total bases, and an .809 OPS in 111 games. His 35 doubles are the most by an Orioles rookie in a single season in franchise history (since 1954), surpassing the mark of 32 set by Orioles Legend and Hall of Famer CAL RIPKEN, JR. in 1982. Rutschman's 35 doubles are also the most in a single season by a primary O’s catcher, ahead of JAVY LÓPEZ with 33 in 2004. He is the second O's rookie with at least 10 home runs and 30 doubles in a season, along with Ripken. His 63 walks are currently the fourth-most by an Orioles rookie, trailing CURT BLEFARY (88, 1965), RON HANSEN (69, 1960), and JIM GENTILE (68, 1960); Blefary, Hansen, and Gentile each appeared in at least 138 games.

He leads the Orioles and Major League Baseball (MLB) rookies in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement (fWAR) with 5.1, which ranks ninth among all American League (AL) hitters. That is currently the third-best fWAR by a rookie catcher in MLB history, trailing only Los Angeles-NL's Mike Piazza (7.4, 1993) and Boston's Carlton Fisk (6.6, 1972), and the second-best by an O's rookie in franchise history, trailing BOBBY GRICH (5.4, 1972). Rutschman also leads the Orioles in doubles and walks, ranks third in runs scored, fifth in extra-base hits (49), and sixth in total bases. Among Orioles batters with at least 400 plate appearances, he leads the team in on-base percentage and OPS and ranks second in slugging percentage.

Rutschman leads AL rookies in doubles, ranks second in walks, third in extra-base hits, fifth in runs scored, sixth in home runs, seventh in total bases, tied for seventh in hits, and eighth in RBI. Among AL rookies with at least 400 plate appearances, he ranks second in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. 

The Orioles today announced the winners of their player development and scouting awards for 2022, including infielder JORDAN WESTBURG as the club’s top minor league player and right-handed pitcher RYAN WATSON as the club’s top minor league pitcher. Aberdeen Manager ROBERTO MERCADO and Area Scout SCOTT WALTER will also be honored by the organization. The award winners will be recognized in an on-field ceremony prior the game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, October 4, with awards presented by Director of Player Development MATT BLOOD, Director of Minor League Operations KENT QUALLS, and Director of Draft Operations BRAD CIOLEK.

Westburg, 23, slashed .265/.355/.496 (144-for-544) with 39 doubles, three triples, 27 homers, 96 runs scored, 106 RBI, 70 walks, and 12 stolen bases in 138 games between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He led Orioles minor leaguers in doubles, extra-base hits (69), total bases (270), and RBI. He also finished second in the organization in hits and home runs. After being promoted to the Tides on June 6, he led the International League with 74 RBI, tied for the league lead with 25 doubles, while also ranking second in the IL with 46 extra-base hits, 184 total bases, and 64 runs scored through the end of the season. The former 2020 Compensation A pick out of Mississippi State University became the first O’s minor leaguer with 100+ RBI in a season since Jason Fransz drove in 111 for Single-A Delmarva in 2005. Westburg is ranked as the 77^th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline and the 90^th-best prospect by Baseball America.

Watson, 24, was 7-5 with one save and a 3.44 ERA (41 ER/107.1 IP), allowing 89 hits, 45 total runs, 16 home runs, nine hit batters, 29 walks, and 108 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .223 average (89-for-399) in 27 games (18 starts) between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He allowed just two hits and three walks with 16 strikeouts across 13.0 scoreless innings in three games (one start) to begin the season for the Baysox and was named the Orioles Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April. The former free agent signee in a round-shortened draft in 2020 out of Auburn University finished fourth in the organization in innings pitched, and his ERA ranked second among Orioles minor leaguers with at least 80 innings pitched.

Mercado has been named the winner of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Player Development Award, named for the late Orioles coach and manager who is widely regarded as the architect of “The Oriole Way.” Each year, a minor league staff member who exemplifies Ripken’s qualities as an instructor is recognized with the award. Mercado enjoyed a successful introduction to professional ball after spending the previous 17 years coaching in the high school ranks in his home state of Connecticut, part of two winters in Australia and New Zealand (Goodwill Series), as well as seven summers in the Cape Cod Baseball League. He led the IronBirds to their first playoff appearance as a High-A club, and first overall since 2013, after winning the South Atlantic League North first half with a 43-23 record. The team finished with the second-best overall record in the league at 78-54. His Aberdeen club advanced to the SAL Championship Series before falling in a winner-take-all third game to the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Mercado was instrumental in creating a positive culture and learning environment for the many prospects he managed. Twenty-seven total players were promoted to Double-A Bowie under his watch and 19 of those made their Double-A debuts this season.

Walter was named the Jim Russo Scout of the Year Award, named in honor of the man who spent 33 years in various scouting capacities with the Orioles beginning with their move from St. Louis in 1954. Walter has been a key member of the Orioles’ scouting operations since the fall of 2010, patrolling a large portion of California that ranges from Los Angeles to Northern California and Northern Nevada. Some of his recent signees includes current Major Leaguer KYLE STOWERS (Stanford) and 2022 Compensation A selection DYLAN BEAVERS (California, Berkeley).

OCT. 3 VS. TOR AT 7:05 P.M.

IN THE COMMUNITY

The Orioles will host five-year-old Dayonnie and his family at batting practice, as well as provide them with game tickets. Dayonnie is currently undergoing cancer treatments. 

PREGAME CEREMONY: Most Valuable Oriole Award Presentation 

Prior to the game, the Orioles will recognize the Most Valuable Oriole, as voted on by members of the local media. The Most Valuable Oriole Award is named in honor of the late Lou Hatter, a former sportswriter for The Baltimore Sun, who covered the Orioles for 27 years. 

The remnants of Hurricane Ian are forecasted to bring inclement weather to our region this weekend. As a result, the following scheduling changes have been made to our series vs. the Philadelphia Phillies:

The 7:05 PM game scheduled for Saturday, October 1 has been moved to 1:05 PM on Friday, September 30. All tickets for the 7:05 PM game on Saturday will be honored for the rescheduled game.

The 1:05 PM game on Saturday, October 1 will be played as originally scheduled.

Visit nationals.com/rain for ticket information.

We will continue to work closely with MLB as the weather situation unfolds. Please stay tuned to our social channels for the latest information.