One of the best defensive plays Andrew Chafin has made in some time wound up sending the veteran reliever to the injured list.

The Nationals placed Chafin on the 15-day IL this morning with a right hamstring strain, an injury he sustained six days ago while doing the splits to make a play in the field. Ryan Loutos, a right-hander acquired only four days ago from the Dodgers, was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take Chafin’s place in the bullpen.

Chafin didn’t initially show any ill effects when he sprinted to cover first on Corey Seager’s grounder to the right side in the top of the ninth Sunday against the Rangers, then stretched to the point he was doing the splits to snag CJ Abrams’ return throw on the 3-6-1 double play. But the left-hander did not pitch in any of the Nats’ last four games and was unavailable during Friday night’s 11-9 loss to the Marlins.

Chafin was going through a jogging drill in the outfield prior to today’s game, so the injury is not severe enough to prevent him from moderate physical activity right now.

The Nationals summoned Loutos from Rochester late Friday afternoon, then placed Chafin on the IL this morning. They were allowed to backdate the transaction only three days, to June 11, which was still three days after he suffered the injury. The soonest he could return would be June 26, but the team will be cautious with his recovery, not wanting to risk rushing him back and potentially making it worse.

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Ryan Loutos from Triple-A Rochester and placed left-handed pitcher Andrew Chafin on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to June 11) with a right hamstring strain on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Loutos, 26, was claimed off waivers from Los Angeles Dodgers and optioned to Triple-A Rochester on June 10. He has posted a 2.75 ERA (6 ER/19.2 IP) with 16 strikeouts and six in 16 Triple-A games this season. He made one appearance with Triple-A Rochester allowing one earned run on two hits with one strikeout in 1.0 innings of work on June 12.

Chafin, 34, pitched to a 3.18 ERA (4 ER/11.1 IP) with 14 strikeouts and 11 walks in 16 games this season.

The Orioles had a late start last night due to the threat of rain, with the actual precipitation lighter than anticipated before the downpour in the fifth inning.

The injury talk started much earlier, and it was heavier than expected.

Let’s take a stroll through yesterday’s updates and try not to roll an ankle.

Grayson Rodriguez

The “sluggish” start on March 5 in Fort Myers turned into an elbow/triceps issue, which turned into a lat issue that kept the projected No. 2 starter from pitching this season.

If this wasn’t rock bottom for the Nationals, it sure felt like it. Mitchell Parker already had dug his team into a six-run hole with an abbreviated start that left many in the crowd booing with disapproval. Then came the 2-hour, 14-minute rain delay. Then once play resumed and the prospect of post-midnight baseball loomed, Jackson Rutledge gave up two more runs to a Marlins team that was piling on a Nats club stuck in a downward spiral with little hope of escape.

And then as Friday night was turning into Saturday morning, the home team decided to finally get its act together. If only it had been enough.

Despite a spirited rally that included seven runs scored between the seventh and eighth innings, the Nationals still ultimately fell short during an 11-9 loss to Miami, their sixth straight.

Unable to overcome Parker’s early struggles on the mound and then some shaky bullpen work later, the Nats fell to the Marlins for the third time in four head-to-head matchups this season, kicking off a critical homestand against two of the National League’s bottom-feeders with the kind of loss that will only leave all affected parties feeling worse than they already did.

"We're a good team. I think there's just a lot of ups and downs in baseball," said James Wood, who did his part tonight with three hits and four RBIs. "We know we're a good team. We know we're capable of being an elite offense. When stretches like that happen, you can't really panic over them."

Charlie Morton had to wait out a rain delay tonight that lasted more than an hour before throwing his first pitch. The grounds crew sprinted to the tarp and stood shoulder-to-shoulder behind it after the top of the fourth inning, cutting through the finish line of the hot dog race.

Morton was the one on a roll.

The only way to slow him was to drench him.

Morton tossed five scoreless innings and tied his season high with 10 strikeouts before umpires halted play with one out in the bottom of the fifth following Ramón Urías’ single. The 69-minute break forced interim manager Tony Mansolino into a pitching change, with Yennier Cano entering in the sixth.

The bullpen backed up Morton with four scoreless frames, and a couple of solo home runs led the Orioles to a 2-0 win over the Angels before an announced crowd of 20,204 at Camden Yards.

Grayson Rodriguez said today that he will throw his first bullpen session next week since experiencing a setback in the middle of April in recovering from a strained lat muscle.

Rodriguez, speaking to the local media for the first time since early March in Fort Myers, also expressed confidence that he’ll pitch after the All-Star break.

“Throwing every day,” Rodriguez said of his flat ground sessions. “Right now feeling good.”

Asked about returning in 2025, Rodriguez said he doesn’t have an exact week or specific timeline, “but I’m definitely gonna pitch this year.”

Rodriguez is on the 60-day injured list. He experienced discomfort in his elbow/triceps area in camp, which robbed him of the normal velocity in his final appearance against the Twins, but he said today that he’s rehabbing only from the lat strain – his third including the summer of 2022 with Triple-A Norfolk.

Robert Hassell III arrived in the big leagues with a bang, going 2-for-5 with two runs and a stolen base in his first career game, going 3-for-5 with his first homer a week later, then delivering another pair of two-hit games shortly after that.

It’s been a struggle since for the Nationals rookie, though, who is finding out what most every other hitter in major league history has been forced to figure out along the way: Pitchers are going to make adjustments and figure out how to exploit your weaknesses.

“He’s young. He’s up here and trying to figure things out,” manager Davey Martinez said. “They’ve made some adjustments after the first week. He’s got to start making adjustments now on the pitchers.”

The 23-year-old outfielder arrived May 22 to significant fanfare, given his success at Triple-A Rochester and his longstanding reputation as top hitting prospect who was part of the Nationals’ massive package from the Padres in the Juan Soto trade. And nine games in, Hassell was living up to the billing, batting .270 (10-for-37) with six RBIs and a number of quality at-bats that suggested a mature hitting approach for someone so inexperienced. Things have taken a downturn since. Over his last nine games, Hassell is batting just .172 (5-for-29) with one RBI, 11 strikeouts and a .379 OPS.

The biggest concern? The rookie is swinging at everything, both inside and outside the zone. He has yet to draw a walk in 66 major league plate appearances.

It was not a good trip to New York, to say the least, for the Nationals. They weren’t just swept by the Mets. They seemed to reach new lows in terms of their offensive slump, going 22 innings without scoring a run between the top of the fifth Tuesday and the top of the ninth Thursday. Not good.

The Mets, to their credit, are one of the best teams in baseball, with the best pitching staff in baseball. Now comes a seven-game homestand against two of the worst teams in baseball, each possessing one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball. If the Nats can’t win a bunch of games against the Marlins and Rockies … well, that’s not going to be a pleasant conversation one week from today.

Miami is up first, a team that has lost eight of its last 10 games, including a three-game sweep at the hands of (wait for it) the Rockies. Edward Cabrera has been OK (2-2, 3.99 ERA, 1.470 WHIP), and he already pitched well against the Nationals once this season (two runs over 5 2/3 innings). The lineup needs to try to jump on the right-hander early and create some positive momentum for a change.

Mitchell Parker opposed Cabrera on that April 11 game in Miami and likewise pitched OK (four runs, three earned in six innings). All four runs came in the bottom of the fifth, which is counter to Parker’s usual narrative of struggling in the first inning before settling down. We’ll see if he can get his evening off to a positive start as well and help put his team in position to win what feels like a must-win game.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 80 degrees, wind 10 mph right field to left field

The passion for baseball that flows through Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino rises in temperature and fluidity as he delves into a particular topic.

Bring up one of the infielders that he’s instructed, and listeners won’t get the short answer.

Mansolino is writing out the lineups after replacing Brandon Hyde and he hasn’t let Ramón Urías vanish from them. Jordan Westburg was reinstated from the injured list on Tuesday, but they were paired again last night, with Urías making another start at third base.

Urías belted a two-run homer Wednesday and made a couple of impressive plays in the field. He had eight hits in 26 at-bats this month before going 0-for-3 last night against Tarik Skubal.

During yesterday’s pregame media session, Mansolino wondered whether his audience knew “Ramón’s story.” The retelling brought him tremendous joy.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino reminded the media again this afternoon that the Orioles have beaten tough pitchers in the past. They didn’t fear Tarik Skubal. They weren’t cowering in corners of the clubhouse. Start the game and get after it.

They created some traffic in the first two innings tonight, drawing only the eighth walk off Skubal this season. But his roll was coming, and the Orioles couldn’t do much about it.

Dean Kremer surrendered two home runs in the fourth inning to give Skubal plenty of room to operate in the Tigers’ 4-1 victory before an announced crowd of 18,800 at Camden Yards. Last year’s unanimous choice for the American League’s Cy Young tossed seven shutout innings, and the Orioles lost back-to-back series after a six-game winning streak.

The Angels are next for the Orioles (27-40), who managed three hits off Skubal. He struck out Coby Mayo to end the seventh, pounded his fist in his glove and accepted cheers from Tigers fans behind the visiting dugout.

Tonight marked Skubal’s sixth scoreless outing. He blanked the Orioles for six innings on April 27 in Detroit. His ERA is down to 1.99.

The Orioles might not wait until next week’s road trip to reinstate Gary Sánchez from the 10-day injured list.

Sánchez batted twice this afternoon in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk and is 8-for-22 with a double and three home runs in seven games. He’s recovered from his right wrist inflammation.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino offered only a small percent a few days ago that Sánchez would rejoin the Orioles during the homestand. They have a weekend series against the Angels before heading to Tampa and New York.

“I told you the other day it was a small chance. I think the chance went up quite a bit because he hit the points that we needed and we’ll probably see him here at some point sooner than later,” Mansolino said today.

Sánchez is 3-for-30 in 12 games after signing an $8.5 million contract. Maverick Handley likely would return to Norfolk if Sánchez is reinstated.

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• INF Emmanuel Rivera has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

Cal Ripken Jr. stood on sacred baseball ground this morning, at home plate in the exact spot where it was planted at the old Memorial Stadium on 33^rd Street. Ripken began his major league career in this neighborhood and he returned today, the site of the first Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Youth Development Park, for the announcement of a partnership that’s creating the Ripken Foundation – Nike RBI Initiative.

This partnership strives to support instructional baseball and softball leagues at 30 organizations across 14 states, with the goal of expanding access to the sport for youth around the country.  

Players from the James Mosher Baseball youth league sat in a line in front of Ripken at The Harry & Jeanette Family Center Y at Stadium Place as he talked about the program and promised to offer them tips during the instructional period that followed.  

“It kind of gives us a chance to look into why we started the Foundation, and it was really to capture dad’s spirit,” Ripken said later in a media scrum.

“He had a really coaching spirit, helping minor league guys get to the big leagues, and he also went out and did different clinics in different areas to expose kids to baseball and the values of sports. So now when we kind of think about him, I think about him like as a teacher, because a coach does a whole lot more than just teach you how to play. Kind of helps with your confidence, kind of puts you in the right direction, and sometimes there’s issues that, if you have a good, trusting relationship with your coach, they start asking you questions. And that’s really the magic that happens through the relationship through sports, and hopefully that’s what we’re capturing with kids.”

Beginning today, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN) has expanded its MASN+ Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) streaming option to include MLB.TV as an additional platform. Fans can now purchase MASN+ directly through MLB.TV, which now allows in-market fans to stream all regular season Orioles and Nationals games LIVE or on demand with no blackouts (subject to national exclusivities). 

Fans can subscribe to MASN+ on MLB.TV for $64.99 for the remainder of the 2025 regular season by visiting MLB.TV or via the MLB app. A recurring monthly subscription is also available for $19.99 per month. Additionally, fans will be able to purchase a bundled subscription that includes both MASN+ and MLB.TV; this option allows fans to stream all out-of-market MLB games, MLB Network 24/7 (US only), select live MiLB games, MLB Big Inning, and live audio for all MLB Clubs.

Existing MASN+ season pass subscribers will receive a special invitation to be able to utilize the MLB.TV platform for the remainder of the 2025 season.

MASN+ can still be purchased directly on MASN’s website at masnsports.com or via the MASN app available on iOS and Android mobile devices, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

MASN+ subscribers receive 24/7 MASN and MASN2 content including every available Orioles and Nationals game, Orioles and Nationals Classics, O’s and Nats Xtra, and all other MASN programming. Orioles and Nationals games produced by MASN include special features like in-game interviews with players, mic ups, and in-depth interviews and analysis. 

Jordan Westburg raised hopes with his reinstatement Tuesday from the injured list, and expectations soared when he hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth and came back last night with a double, walk and three-run homer.

Look who's back. Back again.

Westburg punished a fastball from Tigers right-hander Will Vest in the first game of the series and a sinker last night from right-hander Beau Brieske, but the Orioles need more production against lefties. The loss dropped their record to 4-14 against southpaw starters, including openers like the Tigers’ Brant Hurter.

Overall, the Orioles entered last night slashing .202/.277/.279 against left-handers. Westburg will be in the lineup most nights, and every time the Orioles are matched up against them.

“I think whenever a guy comes off the IL, you don’t expect him to carry us, so the expectation for Jordan after missing a month, he’s not going to carry us,” warned interim manager Tony Mansolino. “If he does, we’ll take it. But I think over time as he gets back to himself, yeah.

NEW YORK – Manager Davey Martinez was hoping to get some “thump” from his right-handed-heavy lineup. The Nationals rank in the lower third in the National League in batting average and OPS against left-handed pitching.

Although a new-look lineup featured six right-handed hitters, they faced a tough task in Mets southpaw David Peterson, who entered the night with a 2.80 ERA.

And try as they might, there was no “thump” to be had. In fact, there was anything but “thump” from the Nats during this 5-0 shutout loss in front of 40,681 fans at Citi Field.

Peterson, who also owned a not-so-impressive 1.259 WHIP at the start of the game, held the Nationals to just six hits without any walks while completing the first complete game and shutout of his six-year major league career.

“I think he was just getting ahead and getting early contact," said James Wood. "I think that let him go the distance today.”

Ramón Urías will find it harder to get into the Orioles’ lineup as more healthy players filter back from the injured list. Jordan Westburg probably will start at third base on most nights. Jackson Holliday is practically locked into second base.

There will be exceptions, of course, like Westburg serving as the designated hitter tonight and Urías occupying the bottom of the order. Interim manager Tony Mansolino won’t bury him. And they showed in loud fashion that they can co-exist.

“Urie will get plenty of time and at-bats,” Mansolino said Tuesday afternoon, “and it will be a really good role for him going forward, too.”

Zach Eflin doesn’t know if he’ll be with the club past the trade deadline. Pending free agents are likely on the table if the Orioles are defined sellers. But Urías and Eflin are living in the present and they were major contributors to a 10-1 win over the Tigers at Camden Yards.

Eflin held the Tigers to one run in 6 2/3 innings, and Urías gave him a lead in the third with a two-run homer. The Orioles put the game out of reach with a seven-run eighth that included Westburg’s second homer in two nights, a three-run shot off Beau Briske.

Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said he’s “hopeful” that Grayson Rodriguez pitches this season, which must suffice as the latest update on the projected No. 2 starter.

Information on Rodriguez isn’t plentiful. The right-hander hasn’t talked to the local media since a March exhibition game in Fort Myers.

Rodriguez is going through a throwing progression and he’s doing “great,” according to Mansolino. Rodriguez hasn’t made a major league appearance since July 31 due to a right lat/teres strain that kept him out of the Wild Card series. He went on the 15-day injured list in spring training with discomfort in his elbow/triceps area but was moved to the 60-day IL with another right lat strain.

“He’s progressing as expected right now,” Mansolino added. “It’s not something we want to put deadlines on by any means. … There’s not always an exact script for every individual injury. We have human beings involved, so we’re very careful. And I know it probably frustrates you guys at times, but we’re very careful of not trying to set expectations through the media, but we also don’t do it privately.

“It’s not something we’re saying like, ‘You’ve got to be ready by this day.’ There’s usually kind of a list of options with some of these guys coming up and if they hit these checkpoints and it goes well. (Colton) Cowser probably expedited his process maybe by a day because he hit the checkpoints quicker, and there’s other scenarios of maybe it lasting a day longer. So we’re trying not to put too much pressure on these guys. I think that’s fair, right? It’s not a public thing. It's just dealing with injured players and understanding that we probably don’t know how every injury is going to heal.”

Rodriguez’s throwing is assumed to be on flat ground, but that information isn’t readily available.

“The exact specifics I can’t get into,” Mansolino said, “but he’s throwing, he’s progressing as expected.”

Even the injury has led to some confusion, with the lat listed as the reason for the 60-day stint.

“He probably needs to speak to that specifically,” Mansolino said. “I don’t feel comfortable answering that question. But I would say he never fully came back from the elbow, so it’s probably something, even if it is healed fully, which is might be, I’m sure it’s something that we’re conscious of as he builds himself back up to being a major league pitcher.”

Charlie Morton stays in the rotation and makes a start in the weekend series against the Angels at Camden Yards. No move back to the bullpen.

Infielder Luis Vázquez is waiting to make his Orioles debut after having his contract selected yesterday. He appeared in 11 games with the Cubs last summer and went 1-for-12.

Vázquez hit .280/.345/.447 in 37 games with Norfolk to position himself for a promotion. He first got noticed in spring training with a 325 average, 10 RBIs and .788 OPS in 21 games.

“I feel like I was able to make a really good impression during spring, which I think matters a lot, and I think thanks to that, I’m able to be here now,” he said via interpreter Brandon Quinones.

“Everyone knows that this is what I wanted. I’ve been playing the way I want to, and being up here in the big leagues is what I wanted, so I feel like I’ve been able to do just that and play really well.”

Former Orioles infielder Ryan Flaherty, now the Cubs' bench coach, phoned Mansolino and offered a strong endorsement of Vázquez. The Orioles acquired the infielder for cash considerations over the winter.

Flaherty “told me this might be the greatest shortstop he’s ever seen in person,” Mansolino recalled. “So coming into spring training, I trust Ryan and what he says, and what I saw was a really good shortstop. A really good defender. Talented, gifted, comfortable with the glove on his hand. A guy that probably hasn’t hit a ton in the minor leagues coming into this, but you look at his Norfolk numbers and the reports coming from Feddy (manager Tim Federowicz) down in Norfolk and kind of what he’s saying about him, there’s a lot to like.”

The Orioles signed left-hander Sayer Diederich, 24, to a minor league contract, according to their transactions page. He pitched in 2024 for the independent Billings Mustangs and hadn’t been with an affiliated team.

Ryan O’Hearn is at first base tonight against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize. Jordan Westburg is the designated hitter, Cedric Mullins is in center field and Colton Cowser moves to left.

For the Orioles

Jackson Holliday 2B
Adley Rutschman C
Gunnar Henderson SS
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Jordan Westburg DH
Colton Cowser LF
Ramón Laureano RF
Cedric Mullins CF
Ramón Urías 3B

Zach Eflin RHP

For the Tigers

Parker Meadows CF
Gleyber Torres 2B
Kerry Carpenter DH
Riley Greene LF
Spencer Torkelson 1B
Wenceel Pérez RF
Colt Keith 3B
Jake Rogers C
Zach McKinstry SS

Casey Mize RHP

The Orioles are renovating and relocating the Jim Henneman Press Box for the 2026 season, using the current space for a new premium club section behind home plate.

The club section will accommodate a capacity of 380 members as part of the upgrades to Camden Yards set in motion since the Orioles reached agreement with the Maryland Stadium Authority on a new lease.

The MSA approved a $600 million bond program to that will be used for additional improvements. Other renovations on the horizon include an improved sound system, larger scoreboard and video board, and new control room.

The team’s press release today details perks of the club section and describes it as an immersive indoor-outdoor experience that will feature “the best views in Oriole Park and include VIP parking, a private entrance, and a rotating upscale menu and beverage program.”

Construction is scheduled to begin following the 2025 season and will be operational for 2026. Fans can follow along with all the ballpark renovations at Orioles.com/OrioleParkUpgrades, and the Orioles encourage them to sign up to be on the priority list at Orioles.com/premiumclub.

The Orioles got rid of their jet lag from the West Coast trip. They really are healthier.

They can’t brag, though. Jordan Westburg and Cedric Mullins returned yesterday, and the club announced at first pitch that Jorge Mateo was going on the injured list with left elbow inflammation.

Never a dull moment to the 2025 season. Never a peaceful stretch.

Mateo was injured while playing center field on May 31 at Camden Yards. He raced into the gap and his arm slammed into Heston Kjerstad’s arm. Kjerstad made the catch, but it wasn’t their only adventure while chasing a ball in that vicinity.

Both players have seen better days. Mateo is on the IL while batting .180/.231/.279 in 31 games. Kjerstad was optioned yesterday while batting .192/.240/.327 in 54.