The mailbag didn’t make it any further than the first leg of the road trip. Given the rash of injuries, just be glad that it didn’t strain a muscle. Or get a rash.

The Orioles are playing the Braves in Atlanta and I’m sorting through the latest round of questions. You ask, I try to answer, and we have another sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

I don’t care about clarity, length, style or brevity, but I do care about Beavers, and young Dylan gets some attention today.

Also, my mailbag is an All-Star and your mailbag has its insurance coverage dropped by Allstate.  

What happened to Emmanuel Rivera?
Rivera cleared outright waivers again and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. Again. Wash, rinse ... you know the drill.

Buy or sell?
Just don’t rent if you can avoid it. You’re just flushing money down the toilet.

Will the Orioles buy or sell?
They haven’t made up the ground necessary to consider buying, and executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias can’t wait too long to set trade talks into motion. The deadline is July 31. He can’t begin serious discussions on the 30^th. The clock is ticking.

Is Ryan O’Hearn going to bring his glove to the All-Star Game?
I’m sure that he’s got room in his bag for a mitt, but he won’t need it unless he uses it as a seat cushion. O’Hearn will get his swings and the rest of the night off.

Can Robinson Chirinos join the roster and become an emergency catcher if everyone is injured?
He can in theory. He’d have to sign a player contract and be placed on the roster at age 41. That won’t happen, no matter how many catchers go down. And I know you weren’t serious, but I ran with it.

It seems Jackson Holliday has improved his swing mechanics and his batting average. Is this due to his dad or Orioles' hitting coaches?
You can order the combination platter here. Matt Holliday worked with his son after noticing a mechanical flaw. Jackson was too close to the ball. The stance and hand placement needed an adjustment. And he ditched the leg lift as a timing mechanism and went with a toe tap. Hitting coach Cody Asche played a significant role in the switch.

Did Matt Bowman stay in the organization?
He did. Bowman, like Rivera, cleared outright waivers again and accepted his assignment to Norfolk.

Does Dylan Carlson have dual citizenship, both in Virginia and in Maryland?
Having three minor league options is part of Carlson’s appeal. A big part. The Orioles can shuttle him back and forth. It isn’t a fun existence, but Carlson knew the deal when he signed his deal. And I know you weren’t serious, but I ran with it.

What is the status on Maverick Handley?
Handley remains on the seven-day concussion list, past his date to be reinstated. The Orioles are aware of his concussion history and are operating with extreme caution.

Who takes over first base when O’Hearn is traded for an injured starting pitcher? And don’t say “your mom.”
I’d never! Ryan Mountcastle eventually will come back from his hamstring injury. Coby Mayo is playing first base instead of third. And Samuel Basallo is a catcher/first baseman who could debut later this summer.

If O'Hearn is traded, does Big Sam get called up?
Sam Horn is 61 years old.

If O’Hearn is traded, does Samuel Basallo …
Basallo may not be the immediate move if O’Hearn is traded, but he’s a left-handed hitter who makes total sense. The Orioles just need to be convinced that he’s ready to catch in the majors, which is part of the gig. And they don’t want to promote him out of need. Otherwise, his contract already would have been selected.

If Cedric Mullins gets traded, will Dylan Beavers get called up?
Beavers may not be the immediate move if Mullins is traded, but he’s a left-handed hitter who makes total sense. Beavers seems to have a good shot at debuting this summer, whenever it happens. Trimming at least one outfielder off the roster would make it easier, but it still gets crowded if the Orioles want to give Heston Kjerstad another chance or bring back Dylan Carlson.

Which is the better eating holiday, Thanksgiving and turkey or July 4th and BBQ? And don’t say …
This depends on your food preferences. I’m a huge lover of Thanksgiving sides. The turkey isn’t the star, though I’ll eat it. I’m meh with barbeque. Don’t dislike it, won’t stand in a 45-minute line to get it for lunch in K.C. I’ll say Thanksgiving because of football, which isn’t really part of your question.

How much time in the game gets a player fully vested for his pension?
A player becomes vested in the pension plan after accumulating 10 years of service time.

What do you think is the most likely way for the O’s to get a strong starting rotation and how many years will that take?
It can happen in one offseason if you spend or make the right trades. And if the Orioles actually get and stay healthy. Listen, they aren’t likely to throw big bucks at a free agent pitcher. They made a respectable run at Corbin Burnes, but he wasn’t coming back. A trade brought him to Baltimore and the Orioles could go that route again. You want a stronger rotation? Keep Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and Tyler Wells in it. Wells could be a reliever, but you get my point. No injuries, no surgeries. Thirty-plus starts. Let’s go. It also would help if Cade Povich pitched to his potential.

How many hot dogs can you eat in 10 minutes?
Eating them isn’t the issue, it’s keeping them down. I’d never win a contest. Too much time wasted putting on the condiments. And I’m only soaking my buns during a rain delay.

Hey Roch! Do you think Tomoyuki Sugano will pitch for a Major League Baseball team next season?
This is a really interesting question. I had a friend text it to me a few days ago. The answer was so obvious a month ago, before a five-start stretch with 22 earned runs (23 total) and 40 hits allowed in 22 1/3 innings that raised his ERA to 4.44. But that’s still a modest sample size to begin speculating on a return to Japan. Sugano has a lot of starts left to get back on track. Teams appear to have figured out something, which is a little surprising with his vast repertoire of pitches, and he’s got to make an adjustment. That’s baseball. It’s a game of adjustments, of counter punches. Let’s see how he does after the break, and whether he’s doing it with the Orioles past the trade deadline. His stock has slipped.

Mike Elias has been much less in the public eye since Brandon Hyde’s firing. Is that coincidental or deliberate? Did he decide to do that on his own or did ownership tell him to pipe down? What are the odds he is back for 2026? Some people speculate that he will be limited to drafting, etc.,  with a new job title starting in ‘26, and that a new GM will be brought in to handle the major league roster. Any thoughts on any of that?
You ask a lot of questions for a guy from New Jersey (RIP Gilda). OK, let’s go one at a time here. Elias is watching games from his suite now as opposed to his seats, but it has nothing to do with ownership and “piping down.” He just did five one-on-one interviews with local media. Again, no piping. He knows how fans feel about this season and that he’s taking some heat. It comes with the job. He was a hero when the Orioles had the No. 1 farm system in baseball and made back-to-back playoff appearances. I think Elias is definitely back next season. As for people speculating about his role, I’ll do my best Eric Davis impersonation when a reporter would begin a question to him with “Some people are saying …” Who are these people? Give me some names? If this is fan or talk radio speculation/venting, it doesn’t count. Where does this stuff come from?

Will they seek to hire a manager with a decent amount of MLB experience?
Mike Elias wasn’t ready to talk about the managerial search during our recent one-on-one, and I don’t expect him to say much about it publicly. He might want to go a different route this time and bring in a more experienced manager. Definitely someone who’s comfortable with analytics and the department's lineup input. But it isn’t like the Orioles struck out with Brandon Hyde as a first-timer. He had three straight winning seasons coming out of the rebuild, made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and was a two-time Sporting News Manager of the Year. He was the right choice. 

How are interviews, pre- and post-game press conferences different with Tony Mansolino than they were with Brandon Hyde?
Mansolino is in the honeymoon phase when there are no stupid questions. Give him time. I had a really good relationship with Hyde, as did others covering the team. It wasn't unanimous, but that's a big ask. Hyde would come prepared with injury updates, often beating us to the punch with list in hand. It was one of his least favorite tasks. Mansolino has started to show up with the information. He's seems a bit more guarded with some of it, as if worried about saying too much. Also understandable given that he's new at this. It's hard to compare them right now because Hyde was hired after an extensive search. Mansolino had the job thrust upon him unexpectedly in May and he never pretended that the transition was smooth and he craved this opportunity however it came about. 

Based upon the alleged Home Run Derby jinx, would Oriole management ban players from participating in future contests?
They wouldn’t implement a ban. The Orioles don't believe in a jinx, whether in a Derby or when I mention a no-hitter. They just want players to make it through the break healthy and to get as much rest as possible. Of course, the Derby and All-Star Game cut into it, but these are honors. I know former manager Brandon Hyde thoroughly enjoyed watching Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in the Derby. I never heard of anyone in the front office trying to dissuade a player from participating.

Can you play catcher at a replacement value level?
Years of skipping leg day make me incapable of squatting that many times and for that long. And that’s just one of the strikes against me, so to speak. I’ll assume that trying to catch a 98 mph splitter with my eyes closed would go poorly. And this seems like a good place to stop.

Do you think if they add Chili to the hot dog race, it would win every time?
Chili Davis must have better things to do than wear a mascot costume and race. And this definitely is a good place to stop.