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Zach Eflin was reinstated from the injured list earlier today and is making tonight’s start in Cleveland, as the Orioles try to rebound from back-to-back losses to the Guardians. They’ve dropped six of their last seven games.
Brandon Young was optioned to make room for Eflin. Young has posted a 7.34 ERA and 1.761 WHIP in seven starts, and he failed to complete the fifth inning in six of them.
Catcher Maverick Handley was moved from the seven-day concussion injured list to the 10-day IL with a sprained right wrist. And left-hander Keegan Akin had his injury rehab assignment transferred from the Florida Complex League to Triple-A Norfolk.
Eflin hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since facing the Rays on June 28 and allowing four runs and five hits in one inning. He was tagged for six runs and 10 hits in three innings at Yankee Stadium in his previous start and for seven runs and 12 hits in five innings in Tampa on June 16.
Eflin has a career 7.71 ERA and 1.714 WHIP in two starts against the Guardians, with eight runs and 14 hits in 9 1/3 innings. But his lone start at Progressive Field resulted in two runs allowed in 6 1/3.
Austin Hedges is 2-for-2 with a home run against Eflin.
Per STATS, opponents are hitting .462 against Eflin’s curveball this season after batting .274 last year.
Gunnar Henderson has registered a .911 OPS against right-handers this season and a .570 OPS against left-handers.
The Orioles’ rotation has a 5.18 ERA that ranks last in the American League and 29th in the majors behind Colorado’s 6.10. The 1.43 WHIP also is last in the AL and 29th in the majors behind the Rockies’ 1.64.
The Orioles haven't posted their lineup.
Cleveland right-hander Slade Cecconi has a 3.84 ERA and 1.232 WHIP in 11 starts. He joined the rotation on May 17 and registered back-to-back quality starts this month before facing the Athletics on Friday and allowing six runs and eight hits in 8 1/3 innings.
Right-handers are hitting .229 with a .405 slugging percentage against Cecconi this season, compared to .321 and .570 in 2024.
Cecconi started against the Orioles on Sept. 2, 2023 with the Diamondbacks and allowed six runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. Cedric Mullins is 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs against him. Ramón Urías is 2-for-2 with a double.
The Orioles selected Cecconi in the 38th round of the 2018 draft but he didn’t sign. Arizona made him the 33rd-overall pick in 2020 and traded him four years later for Josh Naylor.
For the Guardians
Steven Kwan LF
Angel Martínez CF
José Ramírez 3B
Kyle Manzardo DH
Carlos Santana 1B
Nolan Jones RF
Daniel Schneemann 2B
Brayan Rocchio SS
Bo Naylor C
Slade Cecconi RHP
* The Orioles are launching Cowser’s Corral fan section, which includes a game ticket in sections 70 and 72 and limited-edition cow bucket hat. The promotion is for games on Aug 9, 10, 23, and 24, and Sept. 5, 7 and 19.
Tickets are available at orioles.com/cowserscorral.
* Double-A Chesapeake’s Ryan Long tossed five scoreless innings today with one hit allowed.
For the Orioles
Jackson Holliday DH
Jordan Westburg 2B
Gunnar Henderson SS
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Ramón Laureano RF
Colton Cowser LF
Ramón Urías 3B
Cedric Mullins CF
Jacob Stallins C
Zach Eflin RHP
