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The Orioles aren’t gaining sufficient ground in the standings but their roster is healthier.
Infielder Jordan Westburg and outfielder Cedric Mullins were reinstated from the 10-day injured list earlier today. But it cost Heston Kjerstad a roster spot. He was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. And it cost Emmanuel Rivera a place in the organization after he was designated again for assignment.
Westburg hasn’t played in the majors since straining his left hamstring in Game 2 of an April 26 doubleheader in Detroit.
Westburg was 9-for-29 in his last seven games. He’s batting .217/.265/.391 with two doubles, a triple, four home runs and six RBIs in 23 games.
Westburg appeared in eight games with Norfolk on his injury rehab assignment and went 11-for-28 with four doubles and two homers.
Mullins was batting .232/.324/.448 with nine doubles, 10 home runs and 31 RBIs before straining his right hamstring. He went on the IL May 30, but he avoided a rehab assignment.
Kjerstad got the regular at-bats promised to him but didn’t start in the three games in Sacramento. He was batting .192/.240/.327 in 54 games and lost playing time to Dylan Carlson, who has survived the latest roster moves.
Rivera is batting .232/.303/.275 in 25 games. He accepted an outright assignment on Feb. 10. The Orioles selected his contract when they placed Westburg on the IL.
Outfielder Jordyn Adams cleared waivers and was assigned to Norfolk.
The Orioles begin a three-game series tonight against the Tigers, who own the best record in baseball at 43-24.
Adley Rutschman is 10-for-24 (.417) with two home runs through six games this month. He’s hit 13 career homers in June, the most in any month during his career.
Gunnar Henderson played his 400th career game on Sunday. His 77 home runs are the third most by any Oriole through the first 400 games of his career behind Jim Gentile (92) and Boog Powell (78), per STATS.
Henderson is a career .336 hitter in June, the highest average among active players in a minimum 200 plate appearances, according to STATS
Left-hander Cade Povich has made 11 starts and registered a 5.11 ERA and 1.473 WHIP in 56 1/3 innings. He made back-to-back September starts against the Tigers last season and allowed four runs in 10 innings. They collected two runs and two hits over five innings in each game.
Detroit is batting .266 against left-handers, fifth in the majors.
Tigers right-hander Sawyer Gipson-Long was listed as the Tigers’ starter tonight, but they switched to left-hander Brant Hurter as the opener.
Hurter has a 1.62 ERA and 0.960 WHIP in 18 games, including one start. He’s allowed six earned runs in 33 1/3 innings, none in his last seven appearances. In his lone start, he shut out the Cardinals on one hit in three innings in St. Louis.
The Orioles saw Hurter in Game 2 of the doubleheader, and he allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings. They also faced him twice last September, and he tossed 5 2/3 scoreless and hitless innings with eight strikeouts in Detroit and allowed one run in 2 2/3 at Camden Yards.
Gipson-Long was the Twins’ sixth-round draft pick in 2019 out of Mercer University who made four major league starts in 2023 and one this year. He faced the White Sox Wednesday in Chicago and allowed three runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings.
The four starts in 2023 resulted in a 2.70 ERA with 26 strikeouts and two home runs surrendered in 20 innings.
Gipson didn’t pitch in 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Spencer Torkelson enters today with 15 home runs, 30 extra-base hits and 45 RBIs this season to join Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Taylor Ward as the only American League players to reach those totals.
The Tigers swept the Orioles in a three-game series at Comerica Park in April.
The Orioles are 4-13 against left-handed starters, including openers. They’re hitting .250 against right-handed pitching this season, compared to .202 against lefties, and the .048 difference – with a better average against right-handers - is the largest in the majors and on pace to be the biggest by the Orioles in the last 50 years, per STATS.
