New players creating different set of challenges for Orioles

PHILADELPHIA – The visiting clubhouse at Citizens Bank Park isn’t a good location for trying to identify new players.

Lockers don’t come with names, just uniform numbers that aren’t much use without a program or freakish memory skills. And the Orioles’ roster has undergone a startling makeover.

A player sat on a couch yesterday wearing a thick white headband and looking at his phone. The face was unrecognizable to anyone who missed the introductions in Chicago.

The stranger turned out to be first baseman Ryan Noda, who had a pinch-hit single Sunday. The Orioles claimed him on waivers from the White Sox over the weekend.

A pitcher sat at his locker who also hadn’t been in the organization the last time that the Orioles were home. A reporter on the beat discreetly held up his phone to reveal the player page belonging to left-hander Dietrich Enns, who was acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline for cash considerations. Enns allowed a run and five hits Sunday in 1 2/3 innings.

Another mystery solved.

Infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján was a waiver claim Sunday and the Orioles activated him yesterday. Interim manager Tony Mansolino welcomed him to the club and wondered who else might walk through the door.

“Not confusing,” Mansolino said when asked whether, yes, it was confusing for him as well.

“I’ve been through this before. My first year here (2021) we went through this, where it was just new faces all year. I felt like in ‘23, it didn’t feel this way. We won (101) games. The chicken or the egg on health and wins. I don’t know. But this happens.

“It’s been an unfortunate year in terms of our injuries and now the trade deadline, and that’s another reason why there’s so many new players in the building. It’s not what anybody wants in our organization. Believe me. This is far from what we want to deal with, but we have to deal with it and we’ve got to figure out a way to be competitive and compete every night, and we will. We’ll figure it out.”

The responsibilities heaped upon Mansolino after surrendering his role as third base coach have expanded to lineup and bullpen craftsmanship. Jeremiah Jackson played right field for the third game in a row. Keegan Akin recorded a save Saturday and was used in the ninth inning again the following day with the score tied. Justin Turner hit a walk-off home run.

The routine, like the roster, can be unrecognizable.

“If you watched the Chicago series, I think you saw that,” Mansolino said. “We’re doing it in right field right now. We’re putting an infielder in the outfield. Part of that is to win the game, though, because we need offense. … We’ve got to figure out a way to score runs and we have to hope that we can catch the ball in that spot.

“We’re doing that as we speak.”

Reliever Houston Roth was with the club for six days and didn’t make his major league debut. He got to experience the media scrum at his locker at Camden Yards. Bruján took his turn yesterday, standing with team interpreter Brandon Quinones.

“Thank God for this opportunity,” he said. “I actually know a few of the guys on the team, just from over the years and honestly just really happy to be here.”

Bruján could stick with the Orioles because of the versatility that’s enabled him to play every position except catcher. He’s out of minor league options.

“I think just my attitude to win ballgames,” Bruján said when asked how he can contribute. “I love to win. I want to do everything I can to support the team in doing that. I think just doing what I can with my ability to play the game and just help the team anyway I can to help the team win.”

* Cade Povich returned last night from left hip inflammation that cost him nearly two months. He isn’t a doctor, but he played one at his locker while explaining his injury.

“Basically, it’s called a ‘cam lesion,’” he said. “So there’s like some bone growth and there’s an area that was a little inflamed. It’s basically like a bone growth on top of my hip. When there’s inflammation there, it was really just causing a pinch. One caused a little bit of pain and obviously kept it inflamed, so got with our trainers, got with Scott (Barringer), got with Kyle (Corrick) back home.

“Really worked on just kind of strengthening the area. I think we’ve kind of found ways to keep that away, keep the area around it strong to kind of take any pressure on it away. So yeah, I think we’re in a much better spot.”