The Orioles could peel more players off their roster this week, but they’ve added two from the injured list.
Catcher Adley Rutschman (oblique) and reliever Keegan Akin (shoulder) were reinstated this afternoon, as expected. The Orioles designated catcher Jacob Stallings for assignment and optioned right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo to Triple-A Norfolk.
The 40-man roster has 38 players.
The Blue Jays are in town for a four-game series, including Tuesday’s split doubleheader. Rutschman is expected to catch for the first time since June 19 in Tampa. He has a .993 OPS in 47 career games against Toronto, the highest by any catcher all-time in a minimum 175 plate appearances, according to STATS.
Tyler O’Neill has homered in three consecutive games. Yesterday’s homer had an exit velocity of 113.6 mph, the hardest of his career.
Ramón Laureano has a career 1.056 OPS against the Blue Jays, his highest against any American League opponent.
Zach Eflin is making his 14th start and his second after missing a month with lower back discomfort. He allowed two runs and two hits in five innings in Cleveland.
With the trade deadline three days away, this could be Eflin’s last start as an Oriole. His season began with an Opening Day start in Toronto, where he allowed two runs and two hits over six innings.
Eflin has a career 5.40 ERA and 1.394 WHIP in 10 games against the Blue Jays.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is 7-for-21 with a double and two home runs against Eflin. Bo Bichette is 2-for-17. George Springer is 4-for-16 with a double and home run.
Eflin has allowed just 1.69 walks per nine innings since joining the Orioles, the lowest mark through 21 starts with the team since Josh Towers (1.05) in 2001-02, per STATS.
The Orioles are 10-20-4 in series play.
The Orioles have won or split all five home series with the Blue Jays since the start of 2023.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt is 11-4 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.301 WHIP in 22 games (21 starts). He’s 4-0 with a 2.39 ERA and 1.101 WHIP this month in five games.
Bassitt is 8-0 with a 2.65 ERA in 12 home starts and 3-4 with a 5.66 ERA in 10 road games.
The Orioles faced Bassitt on March 30 in Toronto and he held them to one run in six innings. He’s made nine career starts against them and posted a 4.61 ERA and 1.386 WHIP in 52 2/3 innings.
Ryan O’Hearn is 7-for-13 with a double and home run against Bassitt. Ramón Urías is 4-for-8 with a homer. Gunnar Henderson is 4-for-10 with two homers.
O’Neill is 2-for-17 with a double.
The Blue Jays have won eight of their last 10 games and 18 of 23 and own the best record in baseball at 63-43, but they’re 26-26 away from home. They split four games with the Orioles in March and split two in Baltimore in April.
They’ve never finished with the best record in baseball but have been runner-up three times.
Guerrero has a career .611 slugging percentage against the Orioles.
Former Oriole Anthony Santander is on the 60-day injured list and hasn’t played since May 29.
* Double-A Chesapeake’s Trey Gibson was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. Gibson tossed seven scoreless innings with two hits and eight strikeouts against Altoona.
High-A Aberdeen left-hander Ryan Cabarcas was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week. Cabarcas tossed a combined 5 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit and eight strikeouts.