Getting healthier and playing Holliday are pluses for Orioles (game time moved to 4:30 p.m.)

The Orioles didn’t play yesterday and got some good news. Colton Cowser had his injury rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Norfolk, led off and played center field yesterday in Game 1 of a doubleheader after back-to-back rainouts, and finished with three doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Jordan Westburg began his rehab assignment, batted behind Cowser as the designated hitter and had an RBI single and walk.

Cowser is eligible to be reinstated from the 60-day IL today and he’s played in four games, the first three with High-A Aberdeen. The Orioles must decide whether that’s enough. Westburg was eligible on May 7, but the left hamstring hadn’t healed and his assignment was delayed.

Bringing back important players is a much-needed shot in the arm because the roster is riddled with holes. Ramón Laureano, Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sánchez will be next in some order. Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are plowing through their bullpen progressions, making them expected contributors after the break.

The unfortunate development for the Orioles and their fans is the 19-36 record, 16-game separation from the first-place Yankees and 11-game separation in the Wild Card chase. Is it too late?

They lost two “winnable” games against the Cardinals, going a combined 4-for-31 with runners in scoring position, but the White Sox are in town this weekend.

That’s the 18-38 White Sox, who are 6-23 on the road and 18 ½ games out of first place in the American League Central. The White Sox who set the major league record last season with 121 losses.

Maybe this is the soft spot of the schedule.

Better health and a bad opponent could be two reasons to feel good about the Orioles. Dry weather apparently is too much to ask.

Further evidence that it isn’t all gloom can be found at Jackson Holliday’s locker. He’s batting .275/.323/.434 with seven doubles, two triples, six home runs and 24 RBIs in 49 games. His 50 hits are second on the club behind Ryan O’Hearn’s 54 and one more than Gunnar Henderson. His 24 RBIs are second to Cedric Mullins’ 31. His .275 average is second to O’Hearn’s .338, and his .323 on-base percentage and .757 OPS are third.

Holliday has a hit in 13 of the last 14 games, and he’s driven in a run in nine of 12. He’s an everyday player, mostly atop the order, and is batting .297/.324/.495 this month in 23 games, including two doubles and a single Wednesday night.

The single came on a first-pitch 100.6 mph fastball from Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. He lined it up the middle as if hitting off a tee. You can’t see that and not be impressed.

Holliday is batting .194 (7-for-36) with a .479 OPS against left-handers, and all six of his home runs have come against righties. But he’s got the kind of talent that keeps a team from automatically platooning him. And the White Sox are starting three right-handers.

“I feel pretty good,” he said Wednesday night. “I’d like to start swinging the bat a little bit better against left-handed relievers especially, but I feel good. I thought I hit the ball well, and just trying to continue to help the team win as much as possible.”

Asked more about how he’s trying to improve against lefties, Holliday said, “Just working on hitting sliders off the machine and sinkers and maybe just don’t swing versus lefties. I think that would have worked better tonight.”

The observation brought out the boyish grin  

“But yeah,” he continued, “constantly trying to get better to just try to impact the game in all sorts of ways.”

The Orioles are sending Zach Eflin to the mound against White Sox right-hander Sean Burke. He allowed two runs in five innings in Anaheim after returning from the injured list, but he’s surrendered 12 earned runs and 13 total with 15 hits in 10 1/3 innings in his last two outings.

This rotation needs the other Eflin. The 5.60 ERA is last in the American League and 28^th in the majors.

Eflin has made five career appearances against the White Sox and posted a 2.88 ERA in 25 innings.

Burke has a 4.33 ERA and 1.463 WHIP in 11 games (10 starts). He’s walked 30 batters and struck out 39 in 54 innings.

Burke has surrendered one run or fewer in four starts this month over 22 1/3 innings. The Cubs tallied five earned runs and six total in 4 2/3 innings on the 17^th.

Left-handers are hitting .195 with a .737 OPS against Burke this season. Right-handers are hitting .269 with an .806 OPS. This is typical of his reverse splits.

Burke has never faced the Orioles.

Notes: Utility player Cooper Hummel elected free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment to Norfolk.

Hummel spent one day with the Orioles in Boston before they designated him for assignment. The era is over.

* The Orioles are talking to John Mabry about joining the coaching staff as senior advisor, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Mabry, a 14-year major league outfielder and first baseman, previously worked for the Cardinals, Royals and Marlins over a span of 12 seasons – mostly as a hitting coach.

The club is down a few coaches with Tim Cossins’ dismissal as major league field coordinator/catching instructor, Tony Mansolino’s promotion from third base coach to interim manager, and first-year major league coach Buck Britton moving to Mansolino’s old spot. Assistant pitching coach Mitch Plassmeyer relocated to the bullpen.

Mabry, a native of Wilmington, Del., would provide experience that’s missing when the Orioles didn’t retain bench coach Fredi González.

* First pitch for the series opener has moved to from 7:05 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. due to a forecast calling for heavy storms in the area.

 Gates will open at 4 p.m., an hour after parking lots open.

The first 15,000 fans in attendance will receive the bowling shirt giveaway.