masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles have reached their first non-weather-related day off since May 9. They had back-to-back postponements in the Bronx but still reported to the ballpark and waited for the inevitable announcement.
At least the second one came much quicker, with an ominous forecast sending everyone back to the hotel.
Twenty games in a row were stretched across the schedule before today’s breather.
“Needed,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I think everybody’s looking forward to it. It’s been quite a…

The Orioles have reached their first non-weather-related day off since May 9. They had back-to-back postponements in the Bronx but still reported to the ballpark and waited for the inevitable announcement.

At least the second one came much quicker, with an ominous forecast sending everyone back to the hotel.

Twenty games in a row were stretched across the schedule before today’s breather.

“Needed,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I think everybody’s looking forward to it. It’s been quite a stretch here and I think everybody’s looking to get a day break.”

The rotation will remain untouched with Hyde keeping his starters in line and providing an extra day of rest.

Andrew Cashner and David Hess start the first two games of the series against the Giants at Camden Yards and Gabriel Ynoa gets another turn after working the first four innings Monday afternoon.

Ynoa’s placement in the rotation is temporary until it isn’t.

Dan Straily followed Ynoa to the mound and covered the next four innings and he could piggyback again Sunday depending on his availability.

“I think if it works out that way, possibly, but things could happen those first two games of that series, so you never know,” Hyde said.

“Dan didn’t throw that many pitches. Even though he went four innings, I think he threw 50-something pitches (57), so he would be able to come back before that. We’ll see. You never know. In an ideal world, yeah, I’d like to see that happen, but we’ll see.”

* DJ Stewart is going to stay in the lineup while the Orioles evaluate him and decide whether it’s possible to keep him on the roster after Chris Davis is activated from the injured list, a move that’s anticipated next week in Texas.

Stewart is prepped to keep facing left-handers, as he’s done in his first two games and will again Friday night with the Giants starting Drew Pomeranz. He was 16-for-40 (.400) with five doubles, three home runs, 16 RBIs and 13 walks against International League lefties this season.

Trey Mancini kept tabs on Stewart while the 2015 first round pick was pushing for a promotion.

“He’s been absolutely raking,” Mancini said. “I saw on Twitter, I had seen a couple things about how he’s been doing and it’s extremely impressive. He’s a great player, great hitter and I’m excited to have him up here.”

Jonathan-Villar-Swings-Grand-Slam-vs-BOS-White-Sidebar.jpg* Jonathan Villar has appeared in all 56 games this season, his only absence from the lineup coming on May 20. He pinch-ran for Hanser Alberto in the eighth inning and struck out in the ninth against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman to complete a 10-7 loss.

Hyde wanted to rest Villar and try to improve his at-bats. Villar was 11-for-33 before going hitless last night, with four doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, three walks and seven runs scored.

“Playing with a ton of energy,” Hyde said. “I think he’s playing really hard. His at-bats are really competitive. Jonny’s somebody that we like a lot and think really highly of and I think he’s got a really bright future and we talked a lot about consistency with him and pitch to pitch and I think you’re seeing that in how he’s playing the game defensively and offensively. Making things happen offensively, playing really solid defensively.

“I just want him to make the routine play defensively. The good plays are going to come if he just focuses on that and he’s been doing that. Love the way he’s playing, especially the last week to 10 days.”

Villar can get a little reckless on the bases, the most recent example Tuesday night when he was picked off first base and caught in a rundown with the Orioles trailing 3-0. Villar lowered his head and scolded himself before returning to the dugout.

“I think he’s so aggressive that at times he’s going to make a mistake,” Hyde said. “He got picked off in a spot where obviously that shouldn’t happen, but it’s just his aggressive nature and you have to kind of live with it a little bit. So you’re just trying to always talk to him about situations and what he was thinking. It’s just a lot of conversation to try to get him to understand to be more consistent.

“I’d rather have a guy like that and tame him down than try to push somebody. Jonny’s not somebody you have to push. Jonny’s somebody you have to pull back at times and I can live with that.”

* Hyde keeps searching for a hot hand in the bullpen. Someone who can be trusted on a consistent basis. Someone who will emerge and become an established reliever.

Rookie Branden Kline runs at various temperatures. He struck out the side Friday night in Colorado, allowed a run in his next outing and took the loss last night on Brandon Dixon’s two-run shot in the ninth.

“He shows flashes of having dominating stuff – 97, 98 mph fastball, a good tight slider a lot of the time. Just not the slider in the middle part of the plate. A four-pitch walk and a slider in the middle part of the plate and after that he shows you his stuff,” Hyde said.

“I’m going to continue to give him experience, an opportunity, hoping that some of these guys take it, run with it, grab it, but looking for guys to do that.”

* Whatever happened to Cody Carroll?

Glad you asked. Again.

Carroll remains at extended spring training in Sarasota. He didn’t break camp with an affiliate due to soreness in his lower back and he hasn’t left Florida, but he’s getting close.

The right-hander, obtained from the Yankees in the Zack Britton trade, allowed two runs in seven innings with one walk and nine strikeouts in spring training. He registered three saves before the Orioles included him in their March 17 camp cuts.

Carroll made 15 appearances with the Orioles as a rookie and registered a 9.00 ERA and 2.000 WHIP in 17 innings.

* Major League Baseball has awarded the 2021 All-Star Game to the Atlanta Braves, the first at SunTrust Park and the third in the city. The Braves hosted at Atlanta Stadium in 1972 – Hank Aaron hit a two-run homer – and at Turner Field in 2000.

This year’s Midsummer Classic will be played at Cleveland’s Progressive Field and the 2020 All-Star Game will be played at Dodger Stadium for the first time since 1980.

The Orioles haven’t hosted the All-Star Game since 1993 at Camden Yards. Mike Mussina is still getting loose in the bullpen, just in case.