LOS ANGELES – With 28 games left in the regular season, the chase is on for the Orioles. They are chasing a playoff berth and an American League East title, but also chasing the calendar in terms of getting their injured players back with enough time both to perform at their previous levels and also impact the playoff race.

In that regard, Sunday could be a big day for the team in their series finale at Colorado. Right-hander Zach Eflin can return from the injured list that day. He is 4-0 with an ERA of 2.13 in four O’s starts. The last one was Aug. 15 and he went on the IL with right shoulder inflammation after that game.

But now, without a rehab assignment or even having faced any hitters in a simulated game, he is on the verge of rejoining the rotation.

“He is a possibility for Sunday, yeah,” manager Brandon Hyde confirmed today. “I know he was going to throw today, but yeah, there is a chance he can pitch Sunday.”

Meanwhile right-hander Grayson Rodriguez threw off flat ground pregame twice during this series with the Dodgers on Tuesday and again today. Rodriguez, 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA, last pitched July 31 and is on the IL with right lat/teres discomfort. 

The Orioles made a move today aimed at their outfield depth, claiming Forrest Wall on waivers from the Marlins and optioning him to Triple-A Norfolk.

The 40-man roster was full, necessitating a corresponding move that led the Orioles to designate reliever Dillon Tate for assignment.

Wall, 28, is a left-handed hitter who appeared in 13 games with the Braves this season and three with the Marlins, going a combined 8-for-32. He debuted in the majors with Atlanta last summer and was 6-for-13 with two doubles and a home run, and he had one plate appearance in the National League Division Series.

Wall is a career .272/.354/.401 hitter in 10 minor league seasons. The Rockies made him the 35^th-overall pick in the 2014 draft, and he was traded to the Blue Jays four years later in a deal that also involved reliever Bryan Baker.

Heston Kjerstad remains on the concussion injured list and Wall, who has two minor options remaining, gives Norfolk a left-handed hitter.

LOS ANGELES – Beginning a series against the team with the best record in Major League Baseball on the road was going to be a real challenge for the Orioles.

They had just completed a 2-2 series with the Astros but had lost three of five and six of their last 10. Now they faced Shoehei Ohtani and the Dodgers at a time when they had won six of seven and 15 of their last 21. They were 43-23 this year at home and 9-3 against American League East teams.

A sellout crowd of 52,382 came to see two of baseball’s best match up.

On a night when they got another big home run from Ramón Urías and some heavy lifting from their beleaguered bullpen, the Orioles won the series opener 3-2 to move to within a game of the Yankees, who lost earlier in Washington.

The Orioles (77-56) have gone 3-2 against two hot clubs in the Astros and Dodgers.