The Orioles have returned home after a 2-4 road trip in Chicago and Philadelphia, with a three-game series beginning tonight against the Athletics.

Only two games separate the teams in the Wild Card race. Unfortunately, the Orioles are nine back and the Athletics are 11.

There must be more to focus on this weekend than the standings.

Ryan Mountcastle returns.

The Orioles are expected to reinstate Mountcastle from the injured list this weekend, perhaps as early as tonight. He served as designated hitter yesterday afternoon in his ninth rehab game with Triple-A Norfolk.

Mountcastle is batting .387 with four doubles, three home runs and a 1.292 OPS for the Tides. He hasn’t played for the Orioles since May 30 due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

The injury struck as Mountcastle was getting hot at the plate. He was 7-for-12 with three doubles in his last three games to raise his average to .246 with a .628 OPS. His only two home runs were hit April 13 and 30.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino wants to give Mountcastle plenty of at-bats over the last two months of the season but also continue to provide Coby Mayo with regular starts. Mountcastle has one more year of arbitration eligibility after making $6.787 million this season. How he produces when healthy again is one of the more interesting components of the post-deadline season.

A corresponding move is pending.

The Orioles could option first baseman/outfielder Ryan Noda, but he’s a left-handed bat while Ryan O’Hearn is playing in San Diego. They’re also carrying infielder Luis Vázquez, whose appeared twice this month since the Orioles recalled him Aug. 1.

The Orioles are carrying only three true outfielders, and Tyler O’Neill is day-to-day with a sore right wrist. He had imaging done yesterday, a day after the Orioles put Vimael Machín on the medical taxi squad.

Jeremiah Jackson is getting starts in right field and he had a RBI double Wednesday. His spot seems secure.

Dylan Carlson is hitless in his last 28 at-bats as part of a 2-for-35 slump since rejoining the Orioles on July 23. While most fans are on the Samuel Basallo watch, plenty of them also are waiting for outfielder Dylan Beavers, who’s batting .309/.423/.538 with 14 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs, 50 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in 26 attempts over 87 games. He’s 6-for-13 with four homers, seven RBIs and six runs scored in his last three games.

Basallo and Beavers were out of yesterday’s lineup.

Not that anyone noticed.

More injury updates?

Mansolino will be peppered with them, as usual.

O’Neill could be in the lineup, remain day-to-day or go on the IL for a third time. The Orioles could be ready to provide more information on outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who’s on Norfolk’s IL after they shut him down with fatigue.

Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells have more starts coming on their rehab assignments. Bradish takes the mound tonight with Norfolk and Wells pitches Sunday.

There isn’t much to more to say about Grayson Rodriguez. His elbow clean-up is next week and he’s done in 2025 before making a start. Félix Bautista will get a second MRI on his right shoulder and the Orioles won’t have an update until it happens. Zach Eflin received an epidural in his lower back and they don’t know how much time he’s going to miss.

“There is no plan in place for him right now,” Masolino said earlier this week.

Reliever Colin Selby might not be ready to pitch for another month. Infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo and catcher Gary Sánchez could return in September.

Orioles Hall of Fame inductions.

Adam Jones, Joe Orsulak and Tom Davis will be honored at a luncheon today and on the field Saturday.

Jones can easily recite the names of the other four players acquired from the Mariners in the February 2008 Erik Bedard trade. I challenged him during a recent interview in the MASN web studio which will air as part of a special on the inductees.

I foolishly thought minor league pitcher Tony Butler would stump him. Instead, Jones listed him first, followed by relievers Kam Mickolio and George Sherrill and starter Chris Tillman.  

Rumors began to circulate that the trade might fall through based on some medical concerns with Jones that proved to be false.

Jones actually broke the news of the deal while playing winter ball in Venezuela. He told a reporter, and reports spread to the U.S. Jones was pulled from the championship finals with his team leading two-games-to-one, just in case the deal was completed.

“I’m just like, ‘Dang, I can’t be here for my team,’” he recalled. “Because I’m in the moment. It’s winter ball. You know it’s lit down there.”

President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail phoned Jones about a week later, while the shortstop-turned-center fielder was driving to Las Vegas. Jones missed the first call.

“He’s like, ‘Hey Adam, welcome to the organization,’” Jones said. “He’s like, ‘Where are you going?’ And I said, ‘I’m on my way to Vegas.’ I don’t know if your GM wants to hear that. He just traded for a young 22-year-old center fielder. But he’s headed to Vegas.”

Interesting to me is how Jones and his brother were familiar with the Orioles despite living on the West Coast. They’d watch ESPN telecasts of Wednesday Night Baseball, and being traded to Baltimore brought a feeling of nostalgia from their childhood.

“The Orioles and Indians, now the Guardians, were highlights on there,” he said. “Everybody in California, we rocked the black and orange, also.

“Second day of spring training, (manager) Dave Trembley brings me in his office and said, ‘It’s your spot to lose.’ It took me, what, 10 years and four and something months to lose it. I saw a great opportunity and I ran with it. I didn’t do it for the accolades. I did it because I wanted to be a major league player. I loved playing baseball, I loved the sport of baseball. And I’m just fortunate and very, very grateful that I’m being rewarded by it.”

Jones signed a six-year, $85.5 million extension in May 2012. He could have become a free agent and returned to the West Coast. Maybe he finds a sweeter deal somewhere else. But he had a solid reason for staying.

“Well, first and foremost, I’m from the hood. That’s way more money than I ever thought I’d see in my life,” he said. “That is just life changing for my family. It enabled my family to, say, movin’ on up to the east side. But seriously, it allowed for the security of my family.

“Do I need more? Could I have gotten more? Of course. That’s free agency. Did other outfielders get more? Of course. But none of them got this. None of them got this love and respect that I got in this city. ... I got enough. It was easy for me to sign that extension. If do it all over again, I’d do it all over again.”

Orsulak didn’t have Jones’ career – the five All-Star selections, four Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger, three straight seasons finishing sixth, 13^th and 14^th in Most Valuable Player voting – but he spent five seasons in Baltimore during some tough times and posted an 8.0 bWAR, including 2.4 in 1990. He slashed .281 with a .337 on-base percentage.

Orsulak registered 22 outfield assists in 1991 to lead the majors – 13 in left and nine in right.

Davis is a Baltimore broadcast legend, plain and simple, and he can still be found on MASN hosting “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” “Wall to Wall Baseball” and “Touchdown Baltimore.” He’s the perfect point guard, dishing to his analysts and making them look good. Setting them up to score. And he’s a walking, talking baseball encyclopedia. I put him in the same class as the late Jim Henneman when it comes to Baltimore baseball historians.

I have the privilege of appearing on Davis’ Orioles shows, and I can’t name anyone else in the business who’s done more to promote my work and push me out of my comfort zone. I couldn’t be happier to see him enter the HOF.

Giveaways.

If you like free stuff, this is your weekend.

The first 20,000 fans at Saturday’s game receive an Adam Jones bobblehead. The first 20,000 on Sunday get an Orioles corduroy cap.

The weekend also marks the debut of the Cowser’s Corral in sections 70 and 72. Fans receive an exclusive limited edition Cowser Cow Bucket Hat.

* The Orioles sent an email to their season ticketholders yesterday morning outlining details to eliminate their 13- and 29-game plans and convert to 20- and 40-game packages.

President of business operations Catie Griggs wrote that the intent is to “better match the diverse ways fans enjoy Orioles baseball.”

The average ticket price will rise about three percent next year, and renovations to Camden Yards will necessitate the relocation of some ticketholders.

An exclusive gate will be created to ensure that Birdland Members receive the giveaway items without having to arrive early at the ballpark.

The renewal deadline is Sept. 12, and the annual seat relocation window begins 10 days later.

* The Orioles released right-hander Kyle Brnovich yesterday.

Brnovich was acquired from the Angels in the 2019 Dylan Bundy trade. The Orioles also got Kyle Bradish, Zach Peek and Isaac Mattson.

Brnovich, 27, was dogged by injuries. He made 15 appearances (14 starts) with Norfolk this season and posted a 6.34 ERA and 1.623 WHIP in 61 innings.