The Orioles are down to nine players on the injured list, including outfielder Colton Cowser and pitchers Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Albert Suárez and Tyler Wells on the 60-day. This is the healthiest they’ve looked in a long time.

Infielder Ramón Urías was the latest player to escape it yesterday, and he did so without going on a rehab assignment. He can get a bundle of starts at third base and also sub at second if needed. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill and pitcher Zach Eflin were reinstated with the team in Anaheim. Pitcher Chayce McDermott was reinstated and optioned on May 4, and the Orioles used him yesterday as the 27^th man to start Game 2 before returning him to Triple-A Norfolk.

“It’s great for us,” Urías said. “It’s just what we need now, a full team together. We’re just ready to win some games.”

Reliever Andrew Kittredge is nearing his return, but a few more boxes need to be checked. He’s made four rehab appearances since undergoing surgery in March to repair cartilage in his left knee, and a fifth is coming over the weekend.

“All good news with how he’s throwing the baseball and how he feels,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I think he throws again this weekend and then he’ll do a back-to-back and maybe another one. We’ll see how it goes.”

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 27^th 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 27^th 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.”

The Orioles will play their second doubleheader of the season today, with a third pending against the Blue Jays on July 29 at Camden Yards. To the benefit of everyone, the twin bill against the Twins that begins at 12:05 p.m. is the traditional single-admission type. None of this day-night nonsense.

Play Game 1, wait about 30 minutes and play Game 2.

Dean Kremer is starting the opener, but the Orioles list the second game as TBA. Cade Povich was supposed to pitch last night against his former team, but was called into manager Brandon Hyde’s office after the postponement.

Tomoyuki Sugano is supposed to start Thursday afternoon, but he’d be on regular rest today. Or maybe it turns out to be Povich anyway.

Povich faced the Twins in his last outing and allowed five runs in six innings at Target Field. All five runs scored in the third, including Carlos Correa’s 458-foot shot into the second deck in left field.

Tonight’s game between the Orioles and Twins has been postponed due to inclement weather.

The game will be made up Wednesday as part of a traditional, single-admission doubleheader. The opener starts at 12:05 p.m. because of another ominous forecast, and Game 2 begins approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion.

Gates open at 11 a.m. The games will be broadcast on MASN2.

Both teams can summon a 27^th player.

The team also announced that original ticket buyers for tonight's game should visit Orioles.com/Weather for more information. Tickets dated for Wednesday’s original 6:35 p.m. game will be valid for both games of the doubleheader.

The Orioles are supposed to begin a three-game series tonight against the Twins at Camden Yards, with a chance to get revenge for last week’s sweep at Target Field. Rain is in the forecast, and all over my street. Stay tuned for updates.

Need to kill some time? There’s always mailbag leftovers for your perusing pleasure.

You asked, I answered, and I’m finally posting them. They didn’t make the last cut - like me when girls at my high school were deciding on prom dates.

There are other questions saved that I’ll try to publish later.

Is there any chance we see a long-term contract signing this year from the Orioles? Seems like it's been all the rage around the league.
Seems like this question is all the rage. You’ll have to trust me because I’m not going to list everyone, but you aren’t alone in asking it. And unfortunately, there’s no way to answer. Sure, it’s possible. There are discussions behind closed doors. But since they aren’t made public and transcriptions aren’t distributed, we don’t know how advanced. The front office wants to hold onto the young talent, but we’re always reminded of market size and the importance of keeping the organization “healthy” for years to come. There are financial limitations. Both parties have to agree to it. So … maybe.

A 2-4 road trip through Minneapolis and Anaheim isn’t cause for celebration. Lockers weren’t covered in plastic yesterday. And to be clear, last-place teams don’t have soft spots in their schedules, especially one with a worse record than the opponent.

However, Zach Eflin’s return to the rotation, Cedric Mullins’ emergence from a slump and Gunnar Henderson wearing a pirate hat while drinking from the homer hose created a more festive mood for the Orioles heading into the off-day and return home.

Being swept at Target Field felt like a death blow, though it’s only May, but the Orioles claimed two of three against the Angels and won their first Sunday game. They improved to 3-9 against left-handed starters.

“Gotta start somewhere,” manager Brandon Hyde said in his media scrum.

“Today was a good day." 

ANAHEIM – The Orioles needed a bounceback in the worst way. 

After being swept in three games in Minnesota, the Birds flew to Anaheim in search of answers. Perhaps they found some in a 7-3 victory that wrapped up a series win. 

The sun was shining brightly on a beautiful Mother’s Day in Anaheim. It was a bit too bright, perhaps, for Taylor Ward. 

Gunnar Henderson led off the game with a left-on-left double into the right-center field gap. A few batters later, it appeared as if the O’s had stranded another runner in scoring position when Adley Rutschman flew a ball with a 99 percent catch probability to left. Instead, Ward lost the ball in the Sunday sun and it dropped safely onto the outfield grass for a Rutschman triple. Henderson scored, and the Birds had given Zach Eflin an early 1-0 lead. 

That advantage quickly dissipated. 

The Orioles are facing a left-hander today, the Angels’ Tyler Anderson, which again puts them at a statistical disadvantage.

The team is hitting .178/.257/.245 against lefties this season.

Manager Brandon Hyde lowered Cedric Mullins to eighth and is batting Gunnar Henderson leadoff.

Mullins moved down to sixth in the order last night and went 0-for-4 to increase his slump to one hit in his last 34 at-bats. He’s 0-for-19.

Mullins still needs one RBI for 300 in his career. Henderson needs one for 200.

While other players string together hits or prevent runs from scoring in consecutive games, Orioles infielder Emmanuel Rivera might become known more for his stubborn streak.

Rivera is a waiver claim in August, dumped by the lowly Marlins, and bats .313 with a .948 OPS in 27 games with the Orioles. Eight of his 20 hits went for extra bases, including four home runs.

The Orioles avoid a possible arbitration hearing by signing Rivera to a $1 million contract on Nov. 22 and designate him for assignment on Jan. 31. He clears waivers, accepts an outright assignment on Feb. 10 and injures his left shoulder in camp.

Any chance to make the team, however slim, is ruined. But Rivera can’t be deterred and the Orioles are rewarded again for having him in the organization. His contract is selected on April 28 with Jordan Westburg going on the injured list, and he just keeps on hitting.

Rivera went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in Friday night’s series opener in Anaheim to make him 8-for-19 in six games, and he started again last night, going 1-for-4. The Orioles also like his play at third base. “The Octopus” brings a lot to the table.

ANAHEIM – The Orioles started their series in Anaheim hot, with three runs in their first two offensive frames. 

Tonight, though, it was the Angels’ turn, as Baltimore fell 5-2. 

Los Angeles recorded three straight singles to start the game, and in the blink of an eye, it was 2-0 Halos. After a few more baserunners and nearly 30 pitches, Kyle Gibson worked out of the remaining trouble, but the early damage had been done. 

The O’s did the same to veteran Kyle Hendricks last night. But after three early runs, Hendricks settled in, because “that’s what a veteran pitcher does,” as Brandon Hyde noted last night. Gibson did the same for tonight's second and third innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth. We’ll get back to that. 

"I think the teams have been pretty aggressive," Gibson said of his recent first-inning struggles. "So, best way to combat that is maybe use a little off-speed a little bit earlier or just execute a few pitches here and there a little bit better."

ANAHEIM – Kyle Gibson hasn’t been off to a perfect start on the mound. 

The 37-year-old, signed too late to have a Spring Training, has made just two starts to begin the year after his ramp-up. His ERA, after allowing four first-inning home runs to the Yankees in his first start, is all the way up at 14.09. 

His second start was much improved, and he’s looking for another step in the right direction against the Angels tonight. 

The ERA will settle down, and Gibson hopes to provide some stability in the back of the O’s rotation.

But the value that the veteran brings can’t be quantified by his ERA. 

The Orioles snapped a five-game losing streak last night with a 4-1 victory in Anaheim and will try tonight to win back-to-back for only the third time.

Jackson Holliday moves atop the order for the second time in his career. Cedric Mullins is lowered to sixth.

Mullins went 0-for-5 last night and is in a 1-for-30 slump. He’s hitless in his last 15 at-bats.

Gunnar Henderson is the designated hitter and Jorge Mateo is at shortstop. Emmanuel Rivera had two hits and an RBI last night and he’s at third base again tonight.

Kyle Gibson makes his third Orioles start tonight after allowing 12 runs and 16 hits with six homers in 7 2/3 innings. He’s registered a 5.83 ERA and 1.452 WHIP in 15 career starts against the Angels, and he owns a 7.27 ERA and 1.587 WHIP in seven starts in Anaheim.

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill was reinstated from the injured list yesterday and Zach Eflin should follow on Sunday to start the final game of the road trip. Reliever Andrew Kittredge made his second rehab appearance on Thursday. Infielder Ramón Urías is trending toward a return perhaps by Tuesday or Wednesday after the latest break in the schedule.

Unable to get on a roll that moves them out of last place, the Orioles are implementing a new tactic this month - subtracting from the IL instead of adding to it.

Can’t hurt to try it.

Fifteen different Orioles have gone on the IL this season, only two fewer than in 2024. That’s the most in the American League and second in the majors to the Dodgers’ 17.

The White Sox and Reds have 15 different players, and the Marlins and Mets have 14.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Entering tonight’s game against the Angels, the Orioles had gone 16 consecutive games without scoring a first-inning run. 

That changed on a 1-0 count to Gunnar Henderson. 

Kyle Hendricks, better known for his days with the Cubs, threw a changeup that caught too much of the plate, and Henderson drove it 400 feet to right field. An early lead became a 4-1 victory, and behind a stellar start from Tomoyuki Sugano, the Orioles got back in the win column.

“He’s got the art of pitching down,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “The way he changes speeds and moves the ball around, super unpredictable, keeps hitters off balance. And we played really good defense behind him tonight. When we needed it, Tomo stepped up for us.”

Thanks to Henderson, Sugano entered the bottom of the first frame with a lead, a luxury they haven’t had often in 2025. The MLB newcomer went 1-2-3, and the O’s were off and running. 

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Zach Eflin’s return to the big league mound has been grabbing most headlines. For a rotation in search of stability, the veteran right-hander provides just that. 

The rotation, however, hasn’t been the main culprit of the Orioles’ recent woes. That has been Baltimore’s lineup, which has plated more than three runs in just one of their past six games. 

A healthy Tyler O’Neill, and his career OPS just shy of .800, could be the shot in the arm that Baltimore needs. 

The outfielder, activated to the active roster today after missing time with a neck injury, wasn't hitting like himself to begin the 2025 season. O’Neill hit just .215 with a .385 slugging percentage and .668 OPS, all some of the worst numbers of his career. 

That neck injury, as it turns out, had been an issue for O’Neill throughout much of the season and had a big impact on what he was able to do at the plate. 

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill has returned to the Orioles after two games with Triple-A Norfolk on his injury rehab assignment.

O’Neill was reinstated from the IL this afternoon, but the corresponding move didn’t involve another outfielder. The Orioles optioned corner infielder Coby Mayo to Norfolk after yesterday’s game in Minnesota.

The transactions was made official today after O’Neill went 2-for-6 with the Tides. He hasn’t played for the Orioles since April 23 in D.C. because of neck inflammation and is batting .215/.284/.385 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 18 games.

Mayo was recalled on May 3 with infielder Ramón Urías going on the IL due to a right hamstring strain. He singled yesterday but went 1-for-12 with six strikeouts during his most recent stretch with the Orioles, and he’s 5-for-53 with five walks and 28 strikeouts in the majors.

Mayo did some early infield drills yesterday at third base, fielding ground balls and working on the accuracy of his throws to first. He will keep getting starts at the corners with Norfolk, where he slashed .255/.353/.539 with seven doubles, two triples, six home runs and 21 RBIs in 28 games.

MINNEAPOLIS – The scene keeps playing out with only a few small changes.

Players sit at their lockers, staring at their phones or in space. Others walk through the clubhouse to or from the showers. Meals are consumed mostly in silence. The televisions are turned off and there’s no music. Media waits out its targeted interview subjects, trying to stay out of the way.

There are no signs of panic or distress, but the joy of playing baseball is masked and muted. The Orioles have lost five games in a row, their longest stretch since June 21-25 and July 9-13, 2024. The last six-game skid happened from May 13-18, 2022.

Five veterans sat in chairs and formed a circle yesterday with plates of food in their laps – Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, Cedric Mullins, Zach Eflin and Kyle Gibson. They could have touched on a variety of topics – there’s a lot going on in the world – but the plight of the Orioles probably was the predominant subject.

Why this is happening to them and how to fix it. With no easy answers or it would have ceased instead of sending the team spiraling into last place, 10 games below .500 and losers of 12 of the last 16. They need to lead, being among the most equipped on the 26-man roster.

MINNEAPOLIS – Dean Kremer deserved much better and wasn’t asking for it. Baseball can be a fickle and frustrating game. He knows it. Just keep going after hitters and accept the outcome.

Kremer completed seven innings again today and held the Twins to two runs, exiting with the score tied and the Orioles having left runners on base in each of the first six frames. He retired 10 of the last 12 and 18 of 21, and hoped that the worst part of the day would be a no-decision.

He couldn’t enjoy a team victory. He had to dress and eat inside another quiet clubhouse.

Brooks Lee drove in two runs with a two-out double off Gregory Soto in the bottom of the eighth inning and he scored on Ty France’s single to give the Twins a 5-2 win and complete the sweep at Target Field.

The Orioles had 10 hits for the second day in a row and stranded nine runners, their failings with men in scoring position littering the scoresheet. Trevor Larnach finally made them pay with a game-tying home run off Kremer in the sixth inning. The slightest of margins was erased with one swing, and Kremer spun around to wait for a new ball without watching the old on land.