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The Orioles avoided a third consecutive series sweep yesterday. They didn’t fold after losing leads in the ninth and 10th innings. Félix Bautista allowed a run in his fourth consecutive appearance, but hey, at least he was cleared to pitch on back-to-back days.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino could enjoy the flight to Boston. The losing streak ended at eight. The Orioles improved to 1-27 when trailing after the seventh.
Can’t make up all the ground in one game. Yesterday was a start.
Let’s tackle a few questions this morning. This time, I’ll do the asking.
* Did the Orioles make the right choice with the rotation?
Reliever Andrew Kittredge is on the verge of finally making his Orioles debut.
The Orioles reinstated Kittredge from the 15-day injured list this morning and optioned Chayce McDermott to Triple-A Norfolk.
Kittredge made only one appearance in spring training before undergoing surgery to repair cartilage in his left knee. He signed for $10 million over the winter.
McDermott allowed three runs and walked five batters in 4 2/3 innings in his third career major league appearance and was optioned after the game.
The bullpen has an extra reliever today as the Orioles try to snap an eight-game losing streak and avoid a third consecutive sweep. They’ve fallen 17 games below .500.
The Orioles are trying to get healthier after injuries hit them early again, and the news on outfielder Colton Cowser leaves them more encouraged.
Cowser is reporting to High-A Aberdeen today for pregame workouts, and his rehab assignment begins Wednesday if the weather cooperates.
Cowser fractured his left thumb in the fourth game of the season while diving into first base at Rogers Centre in Toronto. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list and can be reinstated on May 30.
The loss has been felt all season with the Orioles' offense slashing .230/.298/.388. They’re batting .198 with a .612 OPS with runners in scoring position.
A runner-up finish last season in Rookie of the Year voting in the American League raised expectations for Cowser. He began the season 2-for-16 against the Blue Jays and broke the thumb trying to beat out a ground ball.
MILWAUKEE – It’s been quite the 72 hours in Birdland.
Tony Mansolino found out that he would be the Orioles' interim manager on Saturday morning. Without much time to settle and adjust, Baltimore had two afternoon games against the visiting Nationals.
“Being totally honest, just an absolute ton of anxiety Saturday and Sunday,” Mansolino said today. “Didn’t sleep a whole lot. Just going through the information and getting my mind prepared for what the job is. I slept last night, which was a really nice feeling waking up today.”
Now the Orioles find themselves as visitors in Milwaukee for a three-game series, the first in which Mansolino has found himself at the helm from the jump.
“Last night, getting on the plane, I pulled out the advanced binder, and I was able to just start looking at what’s going on in terms of the strategy of the game," he said. "I was able to pull out my computer and start looking at lineups and players and things that would help us get ready for the next day. I think that exercise, just kind of strangely, settled me down.”
The Orioles have put pitcher Chayce McDermott on their taxi squad tonight in Milwaukee, which likely makes him Tuesday night’s starter against the Brewers. The spot is listed as TBA.
McDermott was the 27th man in Game 2 of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Twins and allowed four runs in three innings before the Orioles returned him to Triple-A Norfolk. He walked three batters and struck out five.
Being the 27th man allows him to return to the majors without waiting the minimum 15 days.
Jackson Holliday is leading off tonight and Ramón Laureano is the cleanup hitter. Ramón Urías is playing third base, Dylan Carlson is in left field and Maverick Handley is catching.
Adley Ruschman is on the bench.
The deficit grew to four runs, Charlie Morton kept warming in the bullpen and the Orioles were staring at a doubleheader sweep. Their own reflection was depressing – a team 10 games below .500 and getting worse.
What happened next was easy on the eyes. The Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate in the third, Cedric Mullins hit a grand slam to highlight a six-run inning, and a split was in the works.
Look again.
Yennier Cano was summoned in the eighth and Kody Clemens hit a three-run homer before the right-hander retired his first batter in the Twins’ 8-6 victory before an announced crowd of 10,169 at Camden Yards.
Morton allowed one run in three-plus innings of relief and was in line for his first Orioles win in eight decisions before the Twins rallied. Chayce McDermott, making his second major league start, allowed four runs and four hits with three walks and five strikeouts in three innings.
Gunnar Henderson destroyed a curveball from Twins starter Bailey Ober in the third inning, held his pose as he watched the flight of the ball before beginning his trip around the bases, and slapped hands enthusiastically with teammates as he approached the dugout. The Orioles were riding a high, taking a three-run lead in Game 1 of a doubleheader.
They wouldn’t get another hit until Henderson’s two-out single in the seventh. The momentum died as quickly as his ball had reached the flag court.
Henderson homered after Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI double, but the Twins homered twice against Dean Kremer in a four-run fourth and pulled away late in a 6-3 win at Camden Yards.
Center fielder Byron Buxton charged Ryan O’Hearn’s sinking line drive and made a diving catch to end the seventh after Mountcastle reached on an error and Henderson singled. The Orioles finished with four hits, failed in their attempt to win back-to-back games for a third time, and fell to 15-25.
The Twins committed four errors but won their ninth game in a row, including a sweep of the Orioles last week at Target Field. They scored twice against Keegan Akin in the ninth on Trevor Larnach’s RBI double and a wild pitch. Larnach had advanced to third base on right fielder Tyler O’Neill’s error.
Chayce McDermott is in Baltimore as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Twins and could start Game 2.
The Orioles put McDermott on the taxi squad this morning. He’s made three starts in the minors after reporting to spring training with a strained lat, allowing one run in 1 2/3 innings with Double-A Chesapeake on an injury rehab assignment and one run and three hits in eight innings with Triple-A Norfolk.
McDermott, 26, made his major league debut July 24 in Miami, allowed three runs in four innings and was optioned.
Today’s Game 2 starter “is still undecided,” said manager Brandon Hyde, but all signs point to McDermott.
“We’re bringing McDermott up here as the 27th man. There’s a chance he starts that game,” Hyde said. “He’s not fully stretched out, starting-wise from that standpoint, so we’re gonna kind of get through Game 1 and then figure out the starter for Game 2.”
SARASOTA, Fla. – Chayce McDermott still hasn’t been cleared to begin activities. However, he said earlier today that he feels “really good” after reporting to camp with a mild lat/teres strain.
“Can’t complain where I’m at,” he said, “so we’ll keep going and keep following the plan.”
McDermott is restricted to performing strength exercises and doesn’t know when he’ll be begin a throwing progression.
“It should be pretty soon,” he said. "I’m not 100 percent sure of the exact timeline. It’s just based on how I feel with everything and how I keep progressing.”
McDermott made his only major league start last season on July 24 in Miami and had an uphill climb this spring to break camp with the team. His injury likely has eliminated that possibility, but he can hop back into Triple-A Norfolk’s rotation, continue his development and try to rejoin the Orioles over the summer.
SARASOTA, Fla. – Zack Britton reports to Orioles spring training in two days to serve as a guest instructor. His older brother is excited to see him again. They have lots to talk about beyond their families.
Buck Britton spent the last three seasons as Triple-A Norfolk manager before the Orioles promoted him this winter to major league coach. He began coaching in 2017 with Single-A Delmarva, managed the Shorebirds for one year and held the job for three with Double-A Bowie.
The call to the majors never arrived while playing from 2008-16 after the Orioles drafted him in the 35th round. Zack, meanwhile, went from third-round pick and failed starter to two-time All-Star closer who converted all 47 save chances in 2016.
“He was super fired up for me,” Buck said this morning.
“It will be cool. We got to spend some time on the field together in Triple-A when we were playing, but he was a little more serious back then. He’s unemployed, by the way. I’m the guy who’s still hanging on here. But it will be fun. I’ll get to tell stories, probably lie a little bit about them, but in my favor. I just want to see him hit a fungo because I don’t know if he can handle that.”
SARASOTA, Fla. – The decision to sign with the Orioles came easily to outfielder Tyler O’Neill. It wasn’t just the money, though the idea of being paid $49.5 million over three seasons with an opt-out clause after the first year enticed him.
“It was always chasing Baltimore last year,” he said.
O’Neill caught them via contract negotiations.
He spent last summer with the Red Sox after six with the Cardinals, enabling him to form his opinion of the Orioles.
“Playing in the AL East, I’m familiar with the division,” he said. "Baltimore’s the team to beat. Obviously, when they have interest in me early in the offseason, I was really excited about that. Just really excited to join these guys and get going.
This wintery weather – snow, freezing rain, ice that’s closing schools and turning backyard decks into hazardous rinks – heats up the interest in pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training.
The wait is almost over, with the official arrival date Wednesday and the first workout set for Thursday. Gentlemen, start your bullpen sessions and PFPs.
The first day will bring a media scrum with executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and possible injury news. Last spring’s session confirmed Kyle Bradish’s sprained elbow ligament and platelet-rich plasma injection, John Means being about a month behind the other starters, Gunnar Henderson’s sore oblique and Samuel Basallo’s elbow stress fracture.
Elias reminded reporters at the Birdland Caravan that he traditionally kind of forecasts “anybody who’s off or on an abnormal schedule when we get down to Sarasota, so I’ll probably do that in a couple of weeks.”
We already learned that Jorge Mateo and Félix Bautista will be on a lighter schedule early in camp. Bradish and Tyler Wells won’t be activated until the second half, with their move to the 60-day injured list approaching. The media finally will have access to them.
Before we get to the holiday leftovers and play the game of “does this smell OK,” we should dig a little deeper into the mailbag.
Grab a shovel.
My editing consisted of thinking “maybe I should” and changing it to “absolutely not.”
The bullpen sorely lacked strikeouts in 2024. Was that due more to lousy luck or the arms not having strong "out" pitches? How do they improve on that in 2025?
The Orioles ranked 22nd in relief strikeouts with 571. They were 14th in 2023 with 614, and the total would have been higher with a healthy September from Félix Bautista. His return figures to ramp up the Ks. A full season from Seranthony Domínguez, who averages 10.4 per nine innings in his career, also is going to make a difference. You could say the same about Gregory Soto, who averaged 11.2 with the Phillies and 10.7 with the Orioles. Yennier Cano struck out 65 batters to match last year’s total, but he did it in 60 innings compared to 72 2/3 in 2023. Keegan Akin has averaged 10.3 and 11.1 the past two seasons in 23 2/3 and 78 2/3 innings, respectively. Danny Coulombe averaged 9.7, but only in 29 2/3 innings due to his elbow surgery. How was this team 22nd?
I see that Cedric Mullins is now a member of the Executive Committee for the MLBPA. I'd be interested in knowing what is currently being discussed and how Cedric feels about being part of the inner workings of the Players Association.
That isn’t a question. Me, too, and he’ll be asked about it if he’s at the Birdland Caravan or in spring training.
A new Baseball America O’s top 10 prospects list dropped this week. Before or even after you get to your Turkey today, take a look at the list and a few thoughts on each player.
1 – Catcher Samuel Basallo: The big man with the big bat ascends to the top spot. Now it’s a matter of time before he makes his MLB debut. A shining star for the O’s international program, he now has plenty of company among the O’s top 30 with numerous other international talents.
He played in the Futures Game in July and Minor League Baseball named him as the Top MLB Prospect in the Double-A-Eastern League. He moved to Triple-A late in the year, where, after a 7-for-44 start, he batted .297 with an .810 OPS his last 11 Triple-A Norfolk games.
2 – Infielder Coby Mayo: Another big man with a big bat. The minor league numbers were pretty special, but he was swinging and missing a ton in his brief time with the Orioles. Patience needed here. Once Mayo hits that first 450-foot shot in the majors, plenty of more are likely to follow. Biggest question for his future – what position will he play?
3 – Outfielder Heston Kjerstad: He has been on the O’s playoff rosters the last two Octobers. Now he could be the replacement in right field if Anthony Santander's signs with another club. The No. 2 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the O’s soon need to figure out what they have here. He’s had 814 plate appearances in Double-A and Triple-A over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
TORONTO – Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg has not played since he was hit by a pitch July 31 against Toronto and suffered a fractured right hand.
With the O’s set to play the Blue Jays again, this time north of the border, Westburg was quite upbeat today about making it back to the Orioles before the regular season winds down.
“It’s hard to tell. It just comes down how quickly the bone heals and how quickly I can progress,” Westburg said this afternoon in the visitor’s clubhouse with his arm wrapped and using a splint. “I am just taking it one day at a time and personally, I’m optimistic I can be back before the end of the season. I am going to do everything I can to get back out there.”
Do the doctors share that optimism?
“Well, I don’t have any concrete timetable right now. Just trying to be optimistic and set my attitude and worry about taking it one day at a time,” said Westburg, batting .269 with an .815 OPS in 101 games.
These things have a way of working themselves out. It’s more than just a catchy phrase suitable for stitching on a pillow.
Connor Norby was blocked at second base until he wasn’t. Injuries open doors and Norby is walking through one of them.
Jorge Mateo’s elbow injury is going to keep him off the active roster for an extended period. It’s called a “subluxation,” which is a partial dislocation. It corrected itself somewhere between Gunnar Henderson’s leg and the ground last night as they pursued a ball headed toward center field.
The Orioles haven’t determined whether Mateo needs surgery, but at least it isn’t a full dislocation. I’m not a doctor, but partial doesn’t seem quite as serious. However, it's a lot more than a mere 10-day absence.
In the meantime, here’s Norby, the No. 5 prospect in the organization who hit .297 with 21 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .908 OPS in 80 games with Triple-A Norfolk but couldn’t get an extended stay in Baltimore. In pre-Mike Elias years, he would have been playing every day after probably receiving the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year Award. But it’s 2024 and the system is much deeper, making it harder for players like Norby to climb out of it.
MIAMI - The Orioles have recalled infielder Connor Norby for the series finale today at Miami and infielder Jorge Mateo goes to the 10-day injured list with a left elbow subluxation. Norby is in the O's lineup today and batting eighth. The move is retroactive to yesterday.
The club also recalled pitcher Bryan Baker and optioned right-hander Chayce McDermott, who started yesterday, to Triple-A.
A road trip that began with two wins amid promise last Friday in Texas ends this afternoon in Miami with the Orioles looking to reverse a slide.
A slide that has seen them losing three games in a row scoring just eight runs. They have also lost eight of 11 and 10 of their past 15. They are only 11-16 since June 21.
A loss today and the Orioles would have a four-game losing streak and a pair of five-game losing streaks since June 21.
MIAMI - We thought when the Orioles produced a winning season in 2022, winning 83 games which was 31 more than the year before, that they had stopped the losing. We were further convinced they had stopped the losing last season with 101 wins and their first AL East title since 2014.
The dark days were gone.
They have returned to the Orioles, who must prove to all of us that this is just temporary. But with each lackluster performance and each loss, the phrase "this too shall pass" does not seem as reasonable and appropriate as it once did.
Is the latest losing run a bump in the road or a bigger pothole - one that could derail what just recently looked like a special season was possible?
These Orioles still have World Series hopes, right?
The Orioles close out their road trip this afternoon in Miami, trying to avoid being swept by a team with the worst record in the National League, and get ready for another reunion with Manny Machado, whose only previous return to Camden Yards happened in 2019.
Their roster was adjusted again yesterday but didn’t involve a trade. Chayce McDermott had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk, reliever Bryan Baker was optioned and pitcher Jonathan Heasley was designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster. The move with Baker was made late Tuesday night.
Right shoulder inflammation prevented Heasley from pitching since June 11, when he started against Memphis and allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings. He surrendered six runs and nine hits in 2 1/3 in his previous start at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he was really good in May with 16 scoreless innings with the Tides.
Heasley also made one appearance with the Orioles that month and allowed four runs in one inning against the White Sox in Chicago. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Monday.
The injury should make it easier for Heasley to clear waivers and be outrighted if the Orioles want to hold onto him.
MIAMI – In his major league debut tonight, Orioles right-hander Chayce McDermott handled himself well, throwing three scoreless innings and one where he got in trouble.
But with the Baltimore offense not doing much this series, basically since the fourth inning last night, that poor inning looked like it would be enough to beat him tonight.
However, after going scoreless through five innings tonight and over their previous 11 innings this series, the O’s finally got the big hit they needed in the top of the sixth.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Colton Cowser’s three-run double down the right-field line off reliever Huascar Brazoban tied the game 3-3. Just like that the Orioles had their first extra-base hit this series and three huge runs.
But that tie didn't hold.
