MILWAUKEE – It’s been quite the 72 hours in Birdland.

Tony Mansolino found out that he would be the Orioles' interim manager on Saturday morning. Without much time to settle and adjust, Baltimore had two afternoon games against the visiting Nationals. 

“Being totally honest, just an absolute ton of anxiety Saturday and Sunday,” Mansolino said today. “Didn’t sleep a whole lot. Just going through the information and getting my mind prepared for what the job is. I slept last night, which was a really nice feeling waking up today.” 

Now the Orioles find themselves as visitors in Milwaukee for a three-game series, the first in which Mansolino has found himself at the helm from the jump. 

“Last night, getting on the plane, I pulled out the advanced binder, and I was able to just start looking at what’s going on in terms of the strategy of the game," he said. "I was able to pull out my computer and start looking at lineups and players and things that would help us get ready for the next day. I think that exercise, just kind of strangely, settled me down.”

Mansolino was last a manager down on the farm in 2019, when he led the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Guardians. Filling out the lineup card is a little bit different up here. 

“Managers in the minor leagues are trying to do the right thing, too, once the game starts,” the new interim manager said. “That being said, when you make a lineup in the minor leagues, very rarely are you thinking about game strategy at that point. Obviously, the big leagues are a little bit different. You’re trying to do the best thing you can for the team to win the game on that given night.” 

With that new responsibility comes the task of weighing the flood-level of information at the team’s fingertips when it comes to lineup construction. Balancing the numbers and the human element of the game can be the difference between wins and losses. 

“There’s a lot of information,” Mansolino said. “I don’t think you want to overthink a thousand pieces of information. I think as I do this job a little bit longer, I’ll kind of get it down to the things that I think are really important and we’ll go from there.”

Two of those decisions came ahead of tonight’s game against the Brewers, inserting Dylan Carlson and Maverick Handley into the lineup over regulars Heston Kjerstad and Adley Rutschman.

After two straight day games behind the dish for Rutschman, that decision was an easy one. 

“Just a planned rest day,” Mansolino said. “Adley has caught a lot. We track how much energy, how much work players do. Just trying to use that information and do what’s right for Adley, it seemed like the right move today.” 

And for Carlson, the choice was more matchup-based.

“He has a little bit of experience against the guy that’s going to come in in bulk (for Milwaukee), we like that,” Mansolino said. “We really like the defense that Dylan plays. And just thinking about Deano (Kremer), he gets a lot of fly balls. Thinking about a team that, they run the bases incredibly well, there’s a lot of first-to-thirds, they put the ball in play. Just wanted to make a decision today to maybe help the outfield defense a little bit.” 

While those decisions are small in the grand scheme of a hectic few days for Mansolino and the Orioles, they’re indicative of the broader picture: Mansolino is at the helm now. And while he continues to break out the fungo bat for infield drills, his responsibilities are far wider reaching. 

Getting more comfortable with his new tasks is part of the gig, and the margin for error is slim. 

Just like his team, the interim manager must settle in. A three-game set against the Brew Crew is his first test. 

Breadcrumbs from the interim skipper 

Mansolino did also provide some encouraging updates on the injury front. 

In regards to when a potential Colton Cowser rehab assignment may be coming, Mansolino said: “I’m not sure, but I think it’s coming quicker than we think.”

Getting Cowser back sooner than expected would be a massive boost. 

As would the return of Andrew Kittredge, who is in Milwaukee working with O’s trainers. No roster move has been made yet, but the reliever’s time in Triple-A Norfolk seems to have concluded after five outings. 

There also has not been any roster move made for a potential starter in tomorrow’s game. Most signs would point to Chayce McDermott, who is on Baltimore’s taxi squad. Charlie Morton has looked better and could be an option moving forward, but he threw 62 pitches just two days ago.