This, that and the other

The Orioles used their 95th lineup last night in their 106^th game. Catcher Adley Rutschman was reinstated from the injured list and batted cleanup for the fifth time, and the first since May 18.

There seems to be some interest from interim manager Tony Mansolino in going with a top four of Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg, Gunnar Henderson and Rutschman You can read between the lines or just focus on the actual lines.

“I’m fascinated by sticking (Rutschman) in that four hole, kind of sitting behind Gunnar, having a switch-hitter sitting right there, and the effect of that on Gunnar and just trying to navigate our lineup if all four of those guys at the top are cooking and fulfilling and reaching their potential,” Mansolino said during his afternoon media session.

“It's an absolute dynamic four hitters. And the guys behind them are pretty good, too.”

Ryan O’Hearn has batted cleanup 48 times, easily the most on the team. Ryan Mountcastle is next at 17. O’Hearn was slotted fifth last night and Laureano sixth.

O’Hearn’s .375 on-base percentage was highest on the team. Westburg’s .300 was lowest among the first six hitters in the lineup, followed by Holliday’s .313.

It worked out pretty well last night except for Holliday’s 0-for-5 and three strikeouts.

Rutschman was batting .227/.319/.372 in 68 games before straining his oblique, but he delivered a tie-breaking, two-run double in the third inning, doubled again in the fifth and singled in the sixth. The multi-double game was his first since Aug. 10, 2024.

Westburg had three singles on his bobblehead night – the third a double if he doesn’t come off the bag. O’Hearn was fine with fifth, singling in the second and producing an RBI double in the fifth. Laureano had an RBI single and 428-foot two-run homer.

The Blue Jays started a right-hander, Chris Bassitt, and the order likely will change with a lefty on the mound. But playing Holliday, Westburg, Henderson and Rutschman isn’t dependent on the opposing pitcher.

Mansolino isn’t worried about Rutschman’s usage coming off the injured list. He handled the starts behind the plate on his rehab assignment without experiencing discomfort.

“He caught back-to-back, so I think the natural progression from there would be three if he can pull that off,” Mansolino said. “And from there it’s four, and then, how many catchers are catching more than four in a row? So I think he’s close, and I think it’s ideally as much as Adley can handle. And I think these last two months, having as much time as he’s had off due to the injury, I don’t think we’re super concerned about workload over a six-month season.”

Alex Jackson is the backup to Rutschman. Gary Sánchez is on the injured list with a right knee sprain but will be out for a prolonged stretch. Maverick Handley is taking some light swings while on the IL with a sprained right wrist.

“He’s progressing through that,” Mansolino said. “Not quite there yet. I don’t know exactly where he’s at, but I know he’s got a bat in his hand and it’s kind of a day-to-day thing at this point.”

* Henderson made two more outstanding plays at shortstop Sunday, ranging for a ball in the hole and charging a bouncer that went down in the scorebook at 6-3. Notations were needed to separate them from the routine.

Henderson has appeared in 92 games at short and committed only seven errors, 18 fewer than in 157 games last season. However, his Defensive Runs Saved went from 5 last year to minus-4 and Outs Above Average from minus-1 to minus-4 going into last night.  

What gives?

“Listen, these defensive metrics, I look at them,” Mansolino said. “It’s my old job, still my job. There's no way anybody in the room thinks he played a better shortstop last year than he did this year. You're crazy. And the metrics loved him last year. Loved him. He made 25 errors. This year, you can look at whatever his total is, and he made them all the first week he was back (from injury). And the metrics don't like him, or the one that I looked at this morning. “

Henderson will get punished for the ground ball last night that eluded his backhand attempt for a single, though he ranged far to his right.

“Listen, it's a tool, it's a tool to help evaluate players' metrics,” Mansolino said. “But man, you've got to watch the game, too. That's OK to do, too. You've got to use common sense, as well. Right now, with kind of how they graded him out last year and how he played, and how he's grading out this year and how he's playing, I'm sorry, I'm going to go with, this is one of the better versions of Gunnar we've ever seen at shortstop.”

Or, as Coby Mayo said, “He can put up a show every night. It’s fun having him on your side.”

* Cedric Mullins hit his 100^th career home run on Saturday, becoming the 30^th Oriole to reach that mark. His two-run shot last night gave him 101, but 100 as the center fielder. He also hit one as a designated hitter.

Why is this significant?

Well, he’s become the fourth Orioles center fielder to hit 100, per STATS. Adam Jones is first with 258, followed by Brady Anderson with 133 and Paul Blair with 125.

Mullins might not have many more at-bats to pad that total with the trade deadline approaching.

* The Orioles have hit multiple home runs in 11 straight home games against the Blue Jays since Aug 23, 2023, the longest streak in franchise history.