masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgHey, Orioles fans. Welcome to another edition of Yard Work. On this week’s episode …
The struggles continue for the O’s, who have fallen to fourth place in the American League East and are hovering near the .500 mark. Both sides of the ball have been problematic, but it begins with starting pitching, where the Birds have allowed five or more runs in 17 consecutive games. A number of fans are saying it’s time for a complete overhaul, but with a closing competitive window, is now the time to…

Hey, Orioles fans. Welcome to another edition of Yard Work. On this week’s episode …

The struggles continue for the O’s, who have fallen to fourth place in the American League East and are hovering near the .500 mark. Both sides of the ball have been problematic, but it begins with starting pitching, where the Birds have allowed five or more runs in 17 consecutive games. A number of fans are saying it’s time for a complete overhaul, but with a closing competitive window, is now the time to pull the trigger? Steve Melewski and I will discuss.

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Meanwhile, as much trouble as the Orioles have had in giving up runs, it feels like it’s been twice as hard to keep everyone healthy. Several players, including Zach Britton and Darren O’Day, are making their way back from the disabled list, but the O’s were dealt a big blow when shortstop J.J. Hardy suffered a fractured bone in his wrist in Sunday’s series finale against the Cardinals. With Hardy sidelined, it’s likely we’ll see a heavy dose of Rubén Tejada at shortstop, but could Manny Machado slide over to his natural position?

On the bright side of things, the Orioles completed the annual First-Year Player Draft. Despite a penchant for taking mostly college players, the Orioles scooped up a number of high school players in this year’s draft, including pitcher DL Hall with the 21st overall selection. More than one baseball expert called this pick a “steal,” which is encouraging for a franchise that has seen its farm system churn out some great talent in recent years. Still, even with the promise of being a top-level talent, don’t expect to see Hall in Birdland for at least a little while, as he’ll begin his journey as a professional ball player. Melewski and I will recap Hall’s selection and recap the draft for the Orioles.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter at @masnSteve and @brianeller1 and subscribe to the Yard Work podcast on iTunes and SoundCloud. Have a question or a topic you’d like us to discuss? Leave a comment below!

Note: The Yard Work podcast will be recorded each week; therefore, all Orioles records and statistics will be current at time of recording, but may be different when podcast is downloaded. Please don’t hold that against us!