masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgRyan Mountcastle stays in the Orioles lineup tonight as the first baseman in Kansas City after being drilled on the left elbow Sunday and leaving the game in the top of the second inning.
Austin Hays is in left field and Anthony Santander is in right. Kelvin Gutierrez is the third baseman and Pat Valaika is playing second.
The Orioles haven’t revealed their starters for the Royals series beyond rookie left-hander Keegan Akin tonight.
Akin gets his eighth start of the season and his 13th…

Ryan Mountcastle stays in the Orioles lineup tonight as the first baseman in Kansas City after being drilled on the left elbow Sunday and leaving the game in the top of the second inning.

Austin Hays is in left field and Anthony Santander is in right. Kelvin Gutierrez is the third baseman and Pat Valaika is playing second.

The Orioles haven’t revealed their starters for the Royals series beyond rookie left-hander Keegan Akin tonight.

Akin gets his eighth start of the season and his 13th appearance. He’s allowed 38 runs and 59 hits in 45 1/3 innings.

Akin has completed five innings only twice this season. He’s never faced the Royals.

A roster move still needs to be announced after the Orioles placed Jorge López on the bereavement list Wednesday. One possibility is left-hander Alexander Wells.

Thumbnail image for Wells-Warmups-ST-sidebar.jpgWells tossed six scoreless innings Sunday against Durham with two hits allowed, no walks and six strikeouts. He hasn’t surrendered a run in two July starts over 11 innings.

Wells made his major league debut June 26 against the Blue Jays in Buffalo and tossed two scoreless innings with a hit allowed and two walks. His first major league win came in his second and last appearance on June 29 in Houston after allowing two runs and four hits with two walks and a strikeout in 2 2/3 innings.

Royals left-hander Danny Duffy has a 2.53 ERA and 1.246 WHIP in 12 games (11 starts). He’s surrendered only six home runs in 57 innings.

Duffy missed more than a month with a left forearm flexor strain before returning to the rotation June 23. He’s made 11 career appearances against the Orioles and registered a 2.41 ERA and 1.089 WHIP in 56 innings.

Trey Mancini is 4-for-11 against Duffy. He’s the designated hitter tonight.

The Royals lost their last four games before the break and are in last place in the American League Central at 36-53. They’re 21-22 at home.

Their minus-99 run differential is the second-worst in the league behind the Orioles (minus-138).

Former Orioles infielder Hanser Alberto is playing second base tonight. He’s batting .265/.282/.391 with 12 doubles, two triples, one home run and 11 RBIs in 158 plate appearances and he’s drawn only two walks.

For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Austin Hays LF
Trey Mancini DH
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Anthony Santander RF
Ramón Urías SS
Pedro Severino C
Pat Valaika 2B
Kelvin Gutierrez 3B

Keegan Akin LHP

For the Royals
Whit Merrifield RF
Carlos Santana 1B
Salvador Perez C
Andrew Benintendi LF
Hunter Dozier 3B
Jorge Soler DH
Hanser Alberto 2B
Michael A. Taylor CF
Nicky Lopez SS

Danny Duffy LHP

The Orioles are close to signing their first-round draft pick, Sam Houston State outfielder Colton Cowser, according to sources.

Cowser, 21, hit .374/.490/.680 (76-for-203) with 10 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, 52 RBIs and 42 walks in 55 games as a junior.

The team announced today that it signed second-rounder Connor Norby, an infielder from East Carolina University.

Norby, 21, hit .415/.484/.659 (102-for-246) with 15 doubles, 15 home runs, 51 RBIs and 64 runs scored in 61 games as a junior. He led the nation in hits.

The Orioles have signed another undrafted free agent, University of Arizona right-hander Preston Price, who made 16 relief appearances this year and allowed eight earned runs and 14 hits with 12 walks and 35 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings.

One of Price’s teammates was center fielder Donta’ Williams, the Orioles’ fourth-round pick.

Mountcastle is 14/1 to win the American League’s Rookie of the Year, according to “BetOnline.”