The Orioles’ 2025 season is more than just a disappointment. It’s also a drip. A forecast calling for rain throughout the day and most of the night has threatened a sixth postponement and the third in a week, but the Orioles are hoping to squeeze in the game and preserve Thursday’s off-day.

The teams played in a steady shower last night, but the game went on uninterrupted. They have an open date on the schedule Thursday before the Cardinals fly to Texas. The Orioles host the White Sox over the weekend.

An April 11 game against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards was moved to July 29. The Orioles were swept in Detroit on April 26 and by the Twins on May 14. They split with the Red Sox Saturday in Boston after postponements on consecutive days in between a 19-5 loss. They could use a break in the weather.

If the Orioles play tonight, Adley Rutschman will serve as designated hitter and Cedric Mullins will start in center field. Rutschman left Sunday’s game in Boston after taking a foul ball off the mask. Mullins has sat out three of the last four games.

Mullins stayed on the bench last night in a 7-4 loss. Interim manager Tony Mansolino let catcher Chadwick Tromp bat to lead off the bottom of the ninth with Rutschman also unavailable.

Cedric Mullins is out of the Orioles’ lineup today, with Dylan Carlson getting the start in center field.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino kept Mullins and Jackson Holliday on the bench Saturday in Game 2 and said, “Just over the course of the season, there’s little nick-nack things that kind of happen. We were doing the best we could to stay away from them.”

Mullins started Sunday.

Holliday is leading off today, followed by Ramón Urías as the designated hitter. Gunnar Henderson is third.

Ryan Mountcastle is batting cleanup, Ryan O’Hearn is in right field and batting fifth, and Heston Kjerstad is in left field and batting seventh.

The Orioles are back home today, trying to snap an eight-game losing streak at Camden Yards, after going a combined 3-4 in Milwaukee and Boston. They haven't posted a lineup against the Cardinals, but catcher Adley Rutschman apparently won't be in it.

Rutschman was nailed on the mask yesterday by Rafael Devers’ foul ball in the third inning and Maverick Handley pinch-hit for him in the fifth. Triple-A Norfolk catcher Chadwick Tromp is on the medical taxi squad.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino didn’t provide an update on Rutschman or specify whether the catcher is in concussion protocol.

Ryan Mountcastle is 9-for-18 with seven runs scored in four career games played on Memorial Day. He collected four hits in 2022.

Gunnar Henderson needs two more hits to reach 400. He’d join Manny Machado, Eddie Murray, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr. and Boog Powell as Orioles to do it before age 24.

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 27^th 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.

If the Orioles are going to make a run and escape last place in the division, this would be an ideal time to start.

They’re 12 games below .500 for the first time since the conclusion of the 2021 season and 9 ½ out of first place. The Nationals, in town for a weekend series, are 18-27 and in fourth place in the National League East after losing eight of their last nine.

Tonight’s game sets up a rematch between left-handers Cade Povich and MacKenzie Gore.

The pair started on April 24 in D.C. Povich allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings and Gore allowed two runs with eight strikeouts in six innings. The Orioles won 2-1 to avoid a sweep.

Povich hasn’t pitched since May 6 in Minnesota. He’s allowed eight runs in his last two starts totaling 10 2/3 innings.

MINNEAPOLIS – The Orioles haven’t been nine games below .500 since July 2, 2022. A loss tonight would take them down to that mark.

They’ve dropped their last three games and 10 of 14. The most recent four-game skid came within a five-game streak from July 9-13, 2024.

Charlie Morton returns to the rotation tonight after three relief appearances and is trying to lower a 9.76 ERA and 2.205 WHIP. His 30 earned runs and 21 walks lead the American League.

Morton has a 4.50 ERA in four career starts against the Twins and a 4.50 ERA in two starts at Target Field. Christian Vázquez is 3-for-22 with two doubles, a home run and nine strikeouts.

Coby Mayo is out of the lineup after going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts last night and committing two errors. Emmanuel Rivera is starting at third base.

The Orioles have posted their lineup but didn’t announce a roster move.

Coby Mayo is in Baltimore.

Ramón Urías isn’t in the lineup after the Orioles scratched him yesterday with a sore hamstring. Emmanuel Rivera is starting at third base and Jorge Mateo is at second versus Royals left-hander Kris Bubic.

Ramón Laureano is in left field and Heston Kjerstad is in right.

For the Orioles

Jackson Holliday moves up to sixth in the order for tonight’s series opener against the Royals at Camden Yards.

Heston Kjerstad is in right field and Ramón Laureano is in left. They occupy the last two spots in the lineup.

Dean Kremer is trying to lower a 7.04 ERA and 1.565 WHIP over six starts. He’s surrendered 40 hits in 30 2/3 innings.

Kremer faced the Royals on April 4 and allowed two earned runs (three total) and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings. He owns a 3.98 ERA in four career starts against them.

Bobby Witt Jr. is 4-for-11 with a home run. Salvador Perez is 3-for-11 with a double and homer.

Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting sixth tonight and Heston Kjerstad is in left field and hitting eighth, as the Orioles try to win the three-game series against the Yankees.

Ramón Laureano remains in right field. Ryan Mountcastle is batting seventh.

Cade Povich has a 5.04 ERA and 1.720 WHIP in five starts. He held the Nationals to one run in 6 2/3 innings in D.C.

Left-handers are batting .220 with a .680 OPS in his brief career, and right-handers are batting .292 with an .861 OPS. Povich has faced the Yankees twice and allowed four runs in 10 innings, and he’s walked 10 batters.

Per STATS, Povich is throwing his sweeper 44.9 percent of the time against lefties, resulting in a .200 average. When facing right-handers, he has a 14.1 sweeper usage rate that results in a .375 average.

Jordan Westburg is leading off tonight and playing third base as the Orioles begin their series against the Guardians.

The lineup is heavy in right-handed bats against Guardians left-hander Logan Allen.

Gary Sánchez is catching, with Adley Rutschman serving as designated hitter. Ramón Laureano is in left field and Jorge Mateo is playing second base.

Gunnar Henderson slides down to the cleanup spot. Cedric Mullins is in center field and batting seventh as the other left-handed bat.

Jackson Holliday, Heston Kjerstad and Ryan O’Hearn go to the bench. Ramón Urías also is out of the lineup.

The latest Orioles lineup tonight in Phoenix, where they begin a three-game series against the Diamondbacks, has Ryan O’Hearn in right field and Tyler O’Neill on the bench.

Jordan Westburg is batting cleanup as the designated hitter in another new twist. Heston Kjerstad returns to left field.

Ramón Urías is the third baseman and Jackson Holliday is at second base. Cedric Mullins is batting fifth for the third time this season.

Zach Eflin has completed six innings in both starts. He’s 0-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 0.918 WHIP in five career games (four starts) against the Diamondbacks and has registered a 3.68 ERA and 1.023 WHIP in three games (two starts) at Chase Field.

Randal Grichuk is 2-for-13 versus Eflin and Eugenio Suárez is 0-for-11 with seven strikeouts.

KANSAS CITY – The Orioles reinstated shortstop Gunnar Henderson from the 10-day injured list this afternoon and optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk.

Henderson is recovered from the strained right intercostal that he sustained on Feb. 27. He appeared in five games on his injury rehab assignment and went 5-for-19 with two home runs.

Carlson was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. He started in left field yesterday and had a sacrifice fly.

Henderson is leading off. Cedric Mullins is the cleanup hitter.

Jordan Westburg is at third base and batting third. Heston Kjerstad is in left field.

Jorge Mateo is the shortstop tonight and Jordan Westburg is playing second base in a right-handed heavy Orioles lineup against the Red Sox.

Jackson Holliday is on the bench.

Gary Sánchez is catching, with Adley Rutschman serving as the designated hitter. Tyler O’Neill is in left field and Ramón Laureano is in right. Cedric Mullins, batting ninth, is the only left-handed hitter.

Zach Eflin started on Opening Day and held the Blue Jays to two runs and two hits in six innings. He’s 3-0 with a 5.10 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox covering 30 innings.

Rafael Devers is 0-for-19 with 15 strikeouts this season but he’s 6-for-16 with three doubles and two home runs lifetime against Eflin. Wilyer Abreu is 5-for-10 with a double and home run.

BRADENTON, Fla. – The Orioles made nine camp cuts this afternoon to bring the roster down to 48 players, including 12 invitees.

Pitchers Luis González and Kade Strowd were optioned to minor league camp. Pitchers Rodolfo Martinez, Dylan Coleman and Raúl Alcantara, outfielders Jordyn Adams and Franklin Barreto, infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra, and catcher David Bañuelos were reassigned.

Players on the 40-man roster are optioned and the others reassigned.

None of the moves are classified as unexpected. The camp injuries didn’t open any doors.

Martinez was the talk of camp after his bullpen and live batting practice sessions, but he allowed nine runs and five hits with six walks in 3 2/3 innings. In yesterday’s split-squad game in Clearwater, he retired only two batters and was charged with three runs on three walks and two wild pitches. He threw only seven strikes among 24 pitches.

BRADENTON, Fla. – Jackson Holliday is starting at shortstop tonight, as the Orioles head to LECOM Park for another game against the Pirates.

Manager Brandon Hyde indicated that Holliday could make a start at short with Gunnar Henderson unable to play since Feb. 27 due to a strained right intercostal. This is one of them.

Holliday made three appearances (one start) at short with the Orioles last season.

Jordan Westburg is playing third base. Ramón Urías sliders over to second base. Ryan O’Hearn is at first.

Samuel Basallo is catching. Heston Kjerstad is the right fielder.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If there was any reason to debate who will hold the top spot in the Nationals’ batting order to begin the season, Davey Martinez put it to rest today with a fairly definitive revelation.

“CJ is going to lead off,” the eighth-year manager said. “The 3-4-5 will be kind of different. The 2-spot might be a little different at times. But we do know CJ’s going to lead off for us, and we’ll go with that for now.”

So there you have it: CJ Abrams will reclaim the leadoff spot he held for the majority of the 2024 season but did lose at one point when he was struggling at the plate.

The Nats have long believed in Abrams as their long-term answer at the top of the lineup. And over a 13-month stretch from July 2023 into August 2024, he held that job nearly every day, batting .252 with a .318 on-base percentage, .441 slugging percentage, 111 runs scored, 35 doubles, nine triples, 28 homers, 89 RBIs and 56 stolen bases.

But Abrams’ second half slump last summer prompted Martinez to move him out of the leadoff spot for a while, giving him a chance to clear his mind and hopefully get himself back on track. During that stretch – and during the final week of September after Abrams was demoted to the minors for disciplinary reasons – rookie Dylan Crews took over the No. 1 position in the order.

The notion of scribbling out potential lineups for the 2025 Nationals has seemed pointless most of the offseason, because there were too many vacancies still to fill, vacancies in prime spots in the batting order.

It may still be too early to attempt this exercise, because more moves are possible between now and the first day of spring training, especially as it pertains to third base. But the recent additions of Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell did fill the two most significant holes in the lineup, so it’s not impossible to start thinking about Davey Martinez’s plan for his regular one through nine.

There’s no perfect order to arrange the current group, whether due to a lack of track record for some, a lack of recent power for others and an excess of left-handed hitters who are going to have to be stacked together by default. But here’s one possible look Martinez could consider for Opening Day against the Phillies …

1. SS CJ Abrams (L)
2. RF Dylan Crews (R)
3. LF James Wood (L)
4. 1B Nathaniel Lowe (L)
5. DH Josh Bell (S)
6. 2B Luis Garcia Jr. (L)
7. C Keibert Ruiz (S)
8. 3B Jose Tena (L)
9. CF Jacob Young (R)

The biggest question Martinez faces is at the top of his lineup. The Abrams-Crews-Wood trio is likely to occupy the top three slots, but the order isn’t necessarily a sure thing.

MINNEAPOLIS – Jackson Holliday is making his first major league start at shortstop tonight against the Twins.

This is the “already clinched” lineup.

Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Jordan Westburg are sitting.

Ramón Urías is playing second base. Emmanuel Rivera is at third. Austin Slater is the center fielder.

Adley Rutschman is catching Matt Bowman, who’s the opener.

Two events today made it clear that the Orioles were preparing for a roster move.

Reliever Burch Smith walked to the bullpen this afternoon with pitching coach Drew French, assistant Mitch Plassmeyer and head athletic trainer Brian Ebel. He completed a session and returned to the clubhouse, exiting it after the media arrived at 3:30 p.m.

Left-hander Danny Coulombe returned to the club after three rehab appearances with Triple-A Norfolk, stopping by his locker multiple times and offering a smile to reporters as he passed. He wasn't able to speak about his status until it became official.

Manager Brandon Hyde offered confirmation during his session, saying that Coulombe was reinstated from the 60-day injured list and that Smith would go on the 15-day IL with a right adductor/groin strain.

Coulombe hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since June 8. He underwent surgery later that month to remove bone chips from his left elbow, robbing them of a high-leverage reliever with a 2.42 ERA and 0.615 WHIP in 29 appearances.

The Orioles’ penultimate home series concludes this afternoon with Heston Kjerstad in right field and Jackson Holliday getting back-to-back starts at second base.

Coby Mayo is on the bench.

Zach Eflin is making his eighth start with the Orioles. He’s posted a 2.22 ERA and 1.030 WHIP in 44 2/3 innings.

Eflin has faced the Giants eight times (six starts) and registered a 4.79 ERA and 1.402 WHIP in 35 2/3 innings.

The Orioles trail the Yankees by five games in the division and still lead the Royals by 2 1/2 for the first wild card.