On the (admittedly short) list of things to look forward to over the remainder of the Nationals’ season, the return of Dylan Crews from the injured list and the return of Cade Cavalli to the major leagues have to rank right near the top.

It’s been a frustrating summer for both former first round picks, both of them sidelined longer than initially hoped. And in both cases, the delay in rejoining the Nats’ big league roster has been cause for consternation.

Crews, who suffered a left oblique strain way back on May 20, does appear to be close to coming off the 60-day IL at long last. But he’s not quite there yet.

The 23-year-old outfielder began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester one week ago, and by all accounts things have gone well for him since. He has played in five games (four as the Red Wings’ right fielder, one as their DH) and he’s gone 3-for-13 with a double, a homer, four RBIs, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, three strikeouts and a stolen base. The homer and the double both came in his most recent game Sunday in Charlotte.

The issue: Crews hasn’t played more than six innings in a game yet, so he hasn’t fully built himself back up to full game-shape yet. We should learn more today about his next steps, but it would make sense for him to continue playing for Rochester (which opens a series tonight at Norfolk) for at least a few more days. Then the Nationals would have to decide if he’s ready to join them on their next trip to San Francisco and Kansas City, or if he still needs more time.

PHILADELPHIA – The visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park isn’t a good location for trying to identify new players.

Lockers don’t come with names, just uniform numbers that aren’t much use without a program or freakish memory skills. And the Orioles’ roster has undergone a startling makeover.

A player sat on a couch yesterday wearing a thick white headband and looking at his phone. The face was unrecognizable to anyone who missed the introductions in Chicago.

The stranger turned out to be first baseman Ryan Noda, who had a pinch-hit single Sunday. The Orioles claimed him on waivers from the White Sox over the weekend.

A pitcher sat at his locker who also hadn’t been in the organization the last time that the Orioles were home. A reporter on the beat discreetly held up his phone to reveal the player page belonging to left-hander Dietrich Enns, who was acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline for cash considerations. Enns allowed a run and five hits Sunday in 1 2/3 innings.

PHILADELPHIA – Games over the next two months that can’t get the Orioles back into a playoff chase have the power to elevate a young pitcher in the eyes of his bosses. For as long as he’s allowed to stay on the mound.

Left-hander Cade Povich returned from the injured list today to make his first appearance in almost two months, and he came within an infield hit of his third quality start of the season and first since April 24.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino removed Povich after 5 2/3 innings, choosing to let Corbin Martin face Nick Castellanos with the score tied. The matchup mattered more than determining whether Povich could work out of his own jam.

Martin saw six batters and retired none. Harrison Bader hit a three-run homer, Kyle Schwarber greeted Yaramil Hiraldo with a grand slam and the eight-run inning propelled the Phillies to a 13-3 victory before an announced crowd of 41,099 at Citizens Bank Park.

Elvin Rodríguez worked the eighth, becoming the 56^th player used by the Orioles, and Edmundo Sosa and Weston Wilson hit back-to-back home runs. When a game unravels for this team, it leaves a huge mess.

PHILADELPHIA – Grayson Rodriguez won’t pitch in 2025. The last flicker of hope is doused.

The elbow discomfort that shut down Rodriguez again will lead to a debridement procedure next week to clean out some bone fragments. The surgery is expected to happen a week from today.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias stated Friday in a video call that surgery was “back on the table," so today's news was more of a confirmation. The timing of it should make Rodriguez available in spring training.

Rodriguez hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since July 31, 2024 against the Blue Jays. He went on the injured list with another lat strain that kept him off the Wild Card roster, and he didn’t pitch in spring training after a March 5 outing against the Twins in Fort Myers.

A drastic decline in velocity that day led to speculation about an injury. Rodriguez said he felt “sluggish,” and the Orioles put him on the injured list before breaking camp with elbow inflammation. Rodriguez also felt soreness in his triceps, but the first setback in his recovery was caused by another lat strain that prevented him from engaging in an April bullpen session.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Reinstated LHP Cade Povich (left hip inflammation) from the 15-day Injured List. He will start tonight’s game.
• Activated INF/OF Vidal Bruján. He will wear No. 40.
• Optioned RHP Houston Roth to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.
• Optioned OF Jordyn Adams to Triple-A Norfolk.

PHILADELPHIA – The Orioles reinstated left-hander Cade Povich from the injured list today and he gets the ball to start a three-game series against the Phillies.

That wasn’t the only move.

Infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján was activated and he’s wearing No. 40. The Orioles claimed him yesterday.

The counter moves were optioning reliever Houston Roth and outfielder Jordyn Adams. Roth didn’t make his major league debut before departing.

Povich has a 5.15 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 13 games (12 starts). His only relief appearance came on June 15, with 3 2/3 scoreless innings before going on the IL with left hip inflammation.

Attempts to get comfortable with the structure of the Orioles’ roster is time wasted. The changes and debuts are coming at a dizzying pace.

The Orioles set a club record by using 62 players in the 110-loss 2021 season. The total is 55 this year and they have infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján and relievers Elvin Rodríguez and Houston Roth waiting for their first chance. Bruján will meet the team in Philadelphia.

Terrin Vavra received his first at-bat Saturday since 2023, and before the Orioles designated him for assignment the following day. He just made it under the wire.

A corresponding move is pending with Bruján. Vavra seemed to be the most likely player to go but he’s already out the door. Shortstop Luis Vázquez could be vulnerable.

Jeremiah Jackson has started in right field the past two games and he’s hit, moving up to fifth in the order yesterday. The ground beneath his feet might be more solid.

It’s been a constant source of frustration throughout the season. No matter how poorly they’ve pitched, the Nationals have often had little choice but to stick with the staff they’ve got because of a lack of viable alternatives knocking on the door in the minors.

There have been a few moments along the way when the organization has made roster changes, from the early-season cutting of ties with struggling veterans Jorge López, Lucas Sims and Colin Poche, to the in-season additions of Andrew Chafin, Luis Garcia and Konnor Pilkington. But transactions have mostly been limited, because there simply haven’t been enough minor league pitchers worthy of promotion.

That’s what made this weekend’s lopsided sweep at the hands of the Brewers feel all the more hopeless. After interim general manager Mike DeBartolo traded Chafin, Luis Garcia and Kyle Finnegan prior to Thursday’s deadline, the bullpen that remained was beaten to a pulp by Milwaukee, combining to surrender 22 runs in only 14 1/3 innings over the last three days.

What recourse does DeBartolo even have at this point?

The Nationals did make one move following Sunday’s 14-3 loss, optioning right-hander Ryan Loutos (owner of a 12.00 ERA in 10 big league games with the club) to Triple-A Rochester. That still leaves six relievers on the active staff with an ERA over 5.00: Jose A. Ferrer, Orlando Ribalta, Andry Lara, Jackson Rutledge, Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Zach Brzykcy. The only two exceptions: Pilkington (1.42 ERA in seven games) and Cole Henry (3.86 ERA in 42 games).

CHICAGO – A post-trade deadline world involves a lot of moving pieces. 

The Orioles will take chances on waiver claims and young talent, hoping to find diamonds in the rough. 

Who knows if Ryan Noda will be a flier that becomes a piece. This afternoon, though, he was a ninth-inning hero. One of two, but we'll get to that.

With the O's down 3-2 and down to their final out, Noda brought Colton Cowser home to tie the game at three. 

But the heroics, and the good feelings it brought, were short lived. The Cubs walked it off in the ninth, and the Orioles fell 5-3. 

The fear when the Nationals traded away their three most reliable relievers before Thursday’s deadline was what would remain in the bullpen for the final two months of an already-lost 2025 season. Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo was willing to take that chance, recognizing Kyle Finnegan, Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia weren’t going to be a part of the team’s 2026 roster, so he might as well get what he could for the three veterans now.

Those fears, though, were fully realized this weekend when the remnants of the Nats bullpen met the full extent of the Brewers lineup. It wasn’t pretty.

Today’s 14-3 thumping was merely the final blow in a series of blowouts. In getting swept by the team with the National League’s best record, the Nationals were outscored 38-14.

And the Nats weren’t just swept by the Brewers this weekend. They were swept in the season series, outscored 60-23 in six games that more than proved the chasm that currently exists between these two teams.

"That's what a winning team looks like," interim manager Miguel Cairo said of a Milwaukee club that's now 67-44. "They beat us, simple as that."

The trade deadline left plenty of room for the Orioles to add players to their 26- and 40-man rosters. It’s a byproduct of being sellers. Lots of subtractions allow for future additions.

Two more moves came this afternoon while the Orioles played the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias claimed infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján, 27, on waivers from the Cubs. He hasn’t reported but should join the Orioles in Philadelphia.

Elias also claimed right-hander Carson Ragsdale, 27, from the Giants, and the Orioles optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk.

The 40-man roster has increased to 37 players.

Miguel Cairo had already assembled his lineup for today’s series finale against the Brewers before learning Jacob Misiorowski was going on the 15-day injured list with a bruised left shin, forcing a change of pitching plans by Milwaukee.

Cairo’s response: No changes to his Nationals lineup. He already had a lefty-heavy group ready to go against Misiorowski, and he felt that same look would work just as well against replacement Logan Henderson.

That lineup had James Wood serving as designated hitter all along, and it also had Nathaniel Lowe on the bench, giving Josh Bell a rare opportunity to play first base.

“I want to give Wood a little break from the outfield and DH him,” Cairo explained. “J.B., it’s been a while since he played first. I want to give him some action at first base, too.”

This is among the dilemmas now confronting Cairo and the Nationals over the season’s final two months. Bell wasn’t among the veterans on expiring contracts dealt at Thursday’s trade deadline. He remains on the roster. And even though there are a number of younger players seeking major league experience, Bell (who has a robust .852 OPS over his last 49 games) is still going to get regular playing time.

CHICAGO – The process was supposed to be smoother for Jeremiah Jackson. 

Entering the 2018 MLB Draft, the Alabama high schooler was the No. 57 prospect in the class, according to MLB Pipeline. They noted that the shortstop had been starting at that position for his high school team since the seventh grade, winning two state championships in the process. 

His upside was high enough for the Angels to make him the 57th pick in that year’s draft.

Jackson hit the ground running with a .939 OPS in 65 games in rookie ball in 2019. In 2021, he advanced to Single-A, and finished that minor league season with an OPS over .900, too. 

But then, in Double-A, he hit a road block. 

The Nationals thought they were going to be trying to avoid not only a series sweep but a season sweep at the hands of the Brewers this afternoon by facing rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski. Turns out they won’t be facing Misiorowski, who was just placed on the 15-day injured list with a left tibia contusion (he was struck in the leg by a comebacker in his last outing). But before you get too excited, the replacement for The Miz is Logan Henderson, another rookie right-hander who in his first four career starts earlier this season went 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA, 29 strikeouts and only six walks. (Amazing what a difference organizational pitching depth can make, huh?)

So, the Nats still have their work cut out for them to produce offense today. They were held to two hits by Brandon Woodruff and the Brewers bullpen during Saturday’s 8-2 loss. That’s obviously not going to cut it today.

On the bright side, Brad Lord gets the ball for the home team, and that’s something to look forward to. The rookie right-hander has looked really good in his first two starts since returning from the bullpen a few weeks ago, allowing two runs over 9 1/3 innings (and throwing only 109 pitches in the process). He’ll be trying to build up to about 70-75 pitches today, so that could allow him to provide some length as well for a Nationals staff that could use it.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 81 degrees, wind 7 mph in from right field

BREWERS
2B Brice Turang
C William Contreras
1B Andrew Vaughn
DH Christian Yelich
LF Isaac Collins
CF Blake Perkins
3B Anthony Seigler
RF Brandon Lockridge
SS Joey Ortiz

The latest roster move this morning brings Ryan Noda to the visiting clubhouse at Wrigley Field.

Noda, claimed on waivers yesterday from the White Sox, has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. He’s wearing No. 41.

The Orioles designated infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra for assignment.

The 40-man roster has 35 players.

Noda, 29, appeared in 16 games with the White Sox this season and went 3-for-34 with a home run and 10 strikeouts. He played in 128 games with the Athletics in 2023 and 36 in 2024 and is a career .204/.341/.357 hitter. He smacked 16 home runs with 54 RBIs and a .770 OPS in ’23.

The Orioles didn’t free up as much room in their rotation as anticipated at the deadline.

They also didn’t bring in a starter or reliever who would be assured of a roster spot in 2026, though they considered it. The role of seller comes with certain limits.

“Yeah, we definitely tried for that,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said in Friday’s video call. “It’s a rental reliever, a rental player, and I say, ‘Hey, give me your major-league-ready starting pitcher that’s under control for six years,’ it’s just not a real likely trade to happen in that context. So rather than try to force that and either come away with nothing or come away with a guy that’s not very good, I think the right thing to do is get the most value back for the organization, and so that’s what we did.

“Obviously, we would have loved to do that, but you’ve got to be realistic and there’s just not a lot of major-league-ready starting pitchers being traded by teams that are right there in contention, especially for rental-type returns.”

Charlie Morton was in a late trade to the Tigers, but Elias didn’t move Zach Eflin or Tomoyuki Sugano. Eflin is on the injured list with lower back discomfort, his third trip but nothing that should keep him out for an extended stretch, and Sugano started yesterday and allowed three runs in five innings.

CHICAGO – For seven and two-thirds innings, things looked bleak for the Orioles' offense. 

Yesterday, the Birds were blanked in nine innings. Trevor Rogers' eight-inning complete game, allowing just one run, was for naught. 

This afternoon, it looked as if the Orioles would squander another solid pitching performance. Baltimore had allowed just three earned runs in seven innings, and the offense was, once again, shut out. 

For over sixteen innings, the O's offense was lifeless. 

A three-run home run from Gunnar Henderson in the eighth inning changed everything, and the Orioles walked away victorious, 4-3. 

Tyler O’Neill was supposed to serve as the designated hitter today at Wrigley Field, but he’s been removed from the lineup due to an unspecified illness.

O’Neill has made two trips to the injured list this season with neck inflammation and a left shoulder impingement, and he recently was bothered by "general soreness." He went 9-for-16 and hit a home run in four consecutive games between July 24-29 but has gone 0-for-9 in his last three games.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino has moved Gunnar Henderson from shortstop to designated hitter. Luis Vázquez enters the new lineup at shortstop, and he’s batting ninth.

O’Neill was supposed to bat fifth. Coby Mayo moves up one spot.

For the Orioles

The Nationals offense waited too long to get going last night against the Brewers, scoring seven of their eight runs over the last four innings. But it doesn’t matter when the offense produces if the Nats don’t get better pitching.

Mitchell Parker gave up eight runs on 12 hits in four-plus innings Friday night, as four relievers joined him in combining to surrender 16 runs and a club-record 25 hits. They really only can improve from there.

Jake Irvin will be tasked with leading the charge. The right-hander is 8-5 with a 4.69 ERA and 1.295 WHIP in 22 starts. And he’s coming off an impressive outing in his hometown against the Twins, in which he tossed seven strong innings of two-run ball. Irvin faced the Brew Crew in Milwaukee in the last game before the All-Star break, giving up three unearned runs with five strikeouts in five frames.

Opposing him is Brandon Woodruff, the veteran right-hander who also faced the Nats right before the break. The 32-year-old is 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA and 0.716 WHIP in his four starts since returning from injury. When he faced Washington three weeks ago, he gave up two solo home runs to rookies Daylen Lile and Brady House but struck out 10 in 4 ⅓ innings.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 78 degrees, wind 8 mph in from right field

CHICAGO – For years, the Orioles’ rebuild afforded them the opportunity to find diamonds in the rough. 

You know the story here. Cedric Mullins wasn’t a highly touted prospect as a 13th-round pick out of Campbell, but became Baltimore’s everyday center fielder. John Means was selected in round 11. Anthony Santander was a Rule 5 draft pick that turned into an All-Star. Ramón Urías was a waiver claim. 

For the last few seasons, dart throws like that wouldn’t have found much playing time in Baltimore. Even top prospects like Coby Mayo have had to wait patiently for more playing time. 

But after a deadline in which the Orioles traded away nine big leaguers, the final two months of the 2025 season give the O’s roster a familiar feeling: opportunity. 

“Weird to think that I’m sitting at the most service time down there now,” Keegan Akin joked about the O’s bullpen.