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Pitcher Brandon Young and infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra are on the taxi squad from Triple-A Norfolk.
The Orioles haven’t listed a starter for Wednesday and Young could fill the role or be used in bulk relief. Either way, interim manager Tony Mansolino indicated that Young will pitch.
Young allowed six runs and 11 hits with eight walks and nine strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings in two starts with the Orioles this season, but he’s registered a 3.29 ERA and 0.841 WHIP in five outings with Norfolk. He pitched in Memphis on Friday and allowed one run and two hits in five innings in his return from right shoulder soreness.
Tomoyuki Sugano will be pushed back from his scheduled turn Wednesday. Mansolino said Sugano isn't a candidate for the injured list.
Vavra is on the medical taxi squad as insurance in case infielder Jordan Westburg goes on the IL with a sprained left index finger that’s kept him out of the lineup since Saturday in New York. However, Mansolino said "all indications" are that we'll see Westburg in the lineup Wednesday or Friday.
Vavra hasn’t appeared in a game with the Orioles since 2023. He’s batting .270/.372/.369 in 39 games with Norfolk.
Coby Mayo is playing first base tonight. Ramón Laureano is batting second again. Gary Sánchez is catching and batting cleanup.
Dylan Carlson starts in left field. Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter.
Charlie Morton has been outstanding in three of his four starts this month with only one earned run (two total), two walks and 24 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings. He stumbled in Sacramento with four runs, six hits and four walks in 2 1/3.
Morton is 4-1 with a 2.54 ERA in eight career starts against the Rangers.
Marcus Semien is 9-for-27 with two doubles against Morton. Corey Seager is 1-for-15 with a home run.
Carlson has a .476 average and .810 slugging percentage against inside pitches in 2025. Last season, he hit .232 and slugged .268 against those pitches, per STATS.
The Orioles are 6 ½ games back for the last Wild Card.
The Rangers will try another left-hander tonight, Jacob Latz, but he’s an opener with only two career starts in 66 games. He’s allowed 11 runs this season in 30 1/3 innings. He also started on June 8 against the Nationals and surrendered two runs with seven strikeouts in 3 1/3.
Latz worked in bulk relief in his last outing and allowed only one run and three hits in 5 2/3. He threw 82 pitches. The season began for Latz with 4 1/3 scoreless relief innings in Sacramento.
Left-handers are hitting .143 with a .505 OPS against Latz this season, and right-handers are hitting .286 with an .818 OPS. In his career, Latz has held left-handers to a .195/.279/.305 line.
Latz has faced the Orioles twice and allowed two runs and two hits in 1 2/3 innings. Westburg homered in his only at-bat against Latz.
The Rangers are throwing 137.0 pitches per game, fewest in the majors, according to STATS.
Wyatt Langford has a .319 average when ahead in the count this season, making contact 83.5 percent of the time, per STATS.
The Rangers are 23-16 at home and 15-25 on the road. They’ve lost five of their last seven games following a four-game winning streak.
For the Orioles
Jackson Holliday 2B
Ramón Laureano RF
Gunnar Henderson SS
Gary Sánchez C
Ramón Urías 3B
Ryan O’Hearn DH
Coby Mayo 1B
Cedric Mullins CF
Dylan Carlson LF
Charlie Morton RHP
Update: The Orioles signed catcher Jacob Stallings to a minor league contract.
Stallings, 35, appeared in 28 games with the Rockies and went 12-for-84 (.143). He’s a career .234/.314/.344 hitter in 10 seasons.
The Rockies released him on June 6.
Stallings also has appeared in nine major league games in relief, including seven times with the Marlins in 2023.
The Orioles need the catching depth with Adley Rutschman on the injured list with a strained left oblique that’s going to keep him out until the second half. Backup Maverick Handley is on the seven-day concussion IL.
David Bañuelos is on the taxi squad.
Mansolino provided an update today on Westburg, who’s day-to-day with a sprained left finger.
“I do think Westy’s doing really good,” he said. “We had to make a decision on him getting in the lineup tonight earlier and he was probably closer than we thought. So I think all indications are that we’ll probably see him tomorrow, and if we don’t see him tomorrow, then we’ll definitely see him Friday.”
Young is on the taxi squad and will start Wednesday or be used in bulk relief.
“He’ll pitch,” Mansolino said. “You’re probably gonna see him tomorrow. We can do it a couple different ways. We can start him, we can do an opener, so we’re still kind of talking through all that. But more than likely we’ll see him tomorrow.”
The Orioles could option reliever Yaramil Hiraldo to make room for Young.
Left-hander Keegan Akin could be the opener again Wednesday if he isn't needed tonight.
Sugano will be pushed back and could face the Rays Friday night at Camden Yards. Sugano allowed one run in seven innings in Seattle June 3 but has surrendered nine earned and 10 total with 21 hits in his next three starts over 12 2/3. He’s also walked six batters.
“We’re just trying to give him as much extra rest as we can to kind of mirror the schedule that he’s pitched on the last 15 years he’s pitched in Japan,” Mansolino said. “It is something to be mindful when a guy comes over and they’re on that schedule, then you push them onto the every fifth-day major league schedule, it does take a little bit of a toll. So the pitching staff, the medical staff, the front office, they’re on top of it and they’re doing everything they can to try to help him out with it.”
First baseman Ryan Mountcastle is eligible to return from the 60-day injured list on July 30. He's dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain.
"I think it's probably gonna be on the shorter end of that," Mansolino said. "If all goes well, I think we'll see him probably closer to the minimum of what we were expecting as opposed to the longer stint."
