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CLEVELAND – Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, Albert Suárez, Cade Povich and Tyler Wells would form a pretty solid six-man rotation. Suárez could come out of the bullpen or be an option for a swing start here or there. 

Unfortunately, all six were on the injured list until this afternoon. 

The injured staff lost one of its front-line starters today, as Eflin was reinstated from the IL after missing some time with lower back discomfort, an injury that forced him to exit his June 28 outing against the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Now, just shy of a month later, he returns to face a Guardians lineup composed entirely of either left-handed or switch-hitters. With the right-hander Eflin on the mound and just two left-handers in the O’s bullpen, it’s not a bad strategy to implement. 

Lefties are hitting .347 with a .714 slugging percentage and an OPS over 1.000 this year against Eflin, so finding a rhythm in his return to the big league mound will certainly be a challenge. 

“If he commands the ball to where he wants to throw it, I think he’s going to be fine,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said this afternoon. “For Ef, he’s really good when he’s east-west and he’s commanding the ball to both sides of the plate.” 

To make room for the veteran on the active roster, Baltimore optioned Brandon Young back to Triple-A Norfolk. The right-hander started last night against the Guardians, posting 4 ⅓ innings with three earned runs on four hits, three walks and three strikeouts. 

Overall, through seven starts, Young’s ERA stands at 7.34. But Mansolino is impressed with what he’s seen. 

“I feel like he got better,” the interim skipper said of Young. “I like the fastball in some ways, I think it was probably, maybe a little bit more control over command, but I think, as he gets going, it’s going to be more command over control. I like the split. I liked his ability to use the changeup and the curveball as well. He’s a guy that I think has a bright future.” 

With the trade deadline looming, it may not be long before we see Young back up in the big leagues again. 

“I do think that we’ll see him back sooner than later,” Mansolino said. He’s a guy that we definitely have big plans for.”

Breadcrumbs from the Skipper 

Today’s breadcrumbs are more like a loaf. Perhaps a baguette. 

Tyler O’Neill will “hopefully” be available off the bench tonight, according to Mansolino. The interim skipper noted that the outfielder is “trending towards” starting the game tomorrow, assuming that all goes well today. 

There’s not much clarity on the specifics of the injury, but the hope is that it won’t keep him out long. 

Maverick Handley was placed on the 10-day injured list today with a right wrist injury. Mansolino said the initial fear was that the injury was serious, but it doesn’t appear that way after gaining some more information. 

Speaking of information, there’s not any more on Grayson Rodriguez at this time. 

A second opinion on Scott Blewett’s elbow injury came back with positive news. “He’ll have a ball here soon, sooner or later,” Mansolino said.  

Finally, Ryan Mountcastle will be in Triple-A Norfolk tomorrow for his rehab assignment. He joins Adley Rutschman there, though the catcher may not stay down in the minors very long.