Orioles second baseman Adam Frazier has his right thumb taped after jamming it on a diving play in the final game in Toronto. He remains out of the lineup.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Frazier is available off the bench tonight. He might not have started anyway with the Orioles facing another left-hander, Houston’s Framber Valdez, who threw a no-hitter in his last outing.

“He’s been getting treatment since then, but he feels way better today,” Hyde said.

“He should be in there tomorrow.”

Center fielder Cedric Mullins remains with Double-A Bowie, starting in center field tonight in Richmond. His rehab assignment is nearing a conclusion.

Adley Rutschman is leading off and serving as designated hitter tonight, as the Orioles begin their three-game series against the Astros at Camden Yards.

The Orioles are facing another left-hander tonight, Framber Valdez, which obviously impacts how manager Brandon Hyde writes out his lineup.

Jorge Mateo is in center field, and Austin Hays returns to the lineup as the left fielder.

Gunnar Henderson is playing shortstop and batting fifth. He leads the Orioles with 62 runs scored and can become the first rookie to finish first in that category since Cal Ripken Jr. (90) in 1982, per STATS.

Willie Tasby led the Orioles with 69 runs in 1959 and Tito Francona was first with 62 in 1956.

The All-Star break didn’t shatter the Orioles’ momentum toward their first playoff berth in seven years.

They are 16-7 in the second half. Their lead over the Rays grew to three games. Their 70 wins matched the Braves’ total yesterday.

Any drama left in the season appears to involve possible promotions, fitting pitchers on the roster who are returning from the injured list, and whether the Orioles win the division and receive a first-round bye in the playoffs.

That last one is a biggie.

If the season ended today, the Orioles would kick back and wait for the winner of the Rays-Astros wild card series. The Rangers would play the Twins or Blue Jays.

The Orioles are making an adjustment to their bullpen prior to Tuesday night’s series opener against the Astros at Camden Yards.

Right-hander Jacob Webb has been claimed on waivers from the Angels. A corresponding move is pending because Webb hasn’t reported to the club.

A spot on the 40-man roster opened with pitcher Austin Voth transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Voth is on a rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk, where he tossed a scoreless and hitless inning yesterday. He hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since June 13 due to right elbow soreness, so a move to the 60-day IL isn’t impactful for his return.

Webb, who turns 30 on Aug. 15, was designated for assignment Saturday after posting a 3.98 ERA and 1.358 WHIP in 29 relief appearances. He walked 20 batters and struck out 34 in 31 2/3 innings.

Orioles rookie Jordan Westburg stood at the plate yesterday against Mets starter José Quintana, nobody on base and two outs in the sixth inning, and got the barrel of his bat on a first-pitch sinker. His line drive through the left side of the infield, clocked at 108.7 mph, produced the Orioles’ fourth hit of the afternoon.

Catcher James McCann led off the seventh with a double down the left field line on a first-pitch changeup from Quintana, and he scored on a fielder’s choice grounder.

The only runs in the game.

Pretty much on brand for this club.

The Orioles began yesterday leading the majors with a .395 average on the first pitch after ranking 26^th last season at .316, according to STATS.

The bullpen juggling began today with the bases loaded and two outs in the fifth inning, after balls kept missing the strike zone. Manager Brandon Hyde not wanting the Orioles to drop a game in the series.

Hyde has limits to his patience and desires to back off his relievers. Kyle Bradish tied his career high with five walks but didn’t allow a run. The pressing of luck would have to stop.

Former Orioles outfielder DJ Stewart grounded out against left-hander Cionel Pérez, the matchup game working out, and Jorge Mateo tripled and scored in the bottom half of the inning.

Félix Bautista notched his 30^th save after Shintaro Fujinami topped 100 mph on six of his nine pitches, and the Orioles registered their seventh sweep with a 2-0 victory over the Mets before an announced crowd of 27,100 at Camden Yards.

Mets left-hander José Quintana shut out the Orioles through the fourth, but center fielder Rafael Ortega whiffed on a diving attempt on a sinking liner and Mateo had his second triple of the season. Third baseman Mark Vientos mishandled Adley Rutschman’s grounder and settled for the out at first to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead.

Austin Hays is out of the lineup for the second consecutive day due to soreness that’s accumulated over the last two series.

Hays played left field in all four games against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre and made a sliding catch in foul territory in the ninth inning Friday night at Camden Yards with the Orioles leading 10-3. Hays came up limping and grimacing, but he stayed in the game.

Colton Cowser started in left last night, and Hays is on the bench again today, with Ryan McKenna in left and Jorge Mateo in center.

“He’s made a lot of diving catches on turf, on dirt,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Just a little sore. Off-day works out tomorrow where he’s going to get a few days off here. Should be available possibly off the bench today but just wanted to give him another day to mend a little bit.”

Mateo is making his eighth career start and 14^th appearance in center. He handled the final two innings last night and didn't have a ball hit to him.

The Orioles will go for the sweep this afternoon with Jorge Mateo making his first start in center field in two years.

Austin Hays is on the bench again today. He must be one of the “bumps and bruises” guys from the trip to Toronto.

Mateo was a defensive substitution in center field last night. He hasn’t started since June 13, 2021 with the Padres.

Manager Brandon Hyde said yesterday that Mateo has worked out in center to improve the club’s depth with Cedric Mullins and Aaron Hicks on the injured list.

“Of course, I feel comfortable playing out there,” Mateo said via interpreter Brandon Quinones.

Players stood in the dugout yesterday at sold out Camden Yards to watch the ceremony honoring the 1983 World Series champions. None of them born before future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. squeezed Garry Maddox’s line drive for the last out.

All of them hoping 40 years is the limit between titles.

Ripken headed downstairs after the Orioles’ 7-3 win last night and talked to manager Brandon Hyde in the hallway outside the clubhouse. The 1983 team endorses the 2023 group that is a season-high 27 games above .500, loving the talent and energy, and how it’s brought fans back to Camden Yards.

Here’s more from Friday’s media sessions:

Al Bumbry on the similarity between the 1983 and 2023 Orioles.

A capacity crowd stood and cheered players from the 1983 championship team as they walked onto the field in a pregame ceremony, with the loudest ovations aimed at the three Hall of Famers. Fans chanted Eddie Murray’s name like the old days. Rick Dempsey waved a towel over his head, tossed it to the ground, lifted his arms and spelled out O-R-I-O-L-E-S.

He wasn’t a solo act.

The home venue sounded like old Memorial Stadium tonight, the clock spun back 40 years. Murray, Cal Ripken Jr. and Jim Palmer threw out the ceremonial first pitches. Highlights from the season were played on the video board between innings.

The current Orioles soaked in the nostalgia, watching from the dugout along with team executive Mike Elias, then set out again to leave their own mark.

It’s usually black and blue on an opponent.

Orioles outfielder Aaron Hicks is nearing a rehab assignment as he recovers from a strained left hamstring.

Hicks hasn’t played since diving for a fly ball on July 24 in Philadelphia. He’s batting .252/.349/.435 with four doubles, a triple, six home runs and 20 RBIs in 42 games with the Orioles.

“He’s doing really well,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “He is getting close. He’s progressing every day, getting some running on the field. Took some batting practice on the field yesterday, and just getting closer and closer. Getting his treatment in.

“I would expect him to be out sometime soon. I’m not really sure on the date. We’re kind of day-to-day with him, but he’s definitely progressing well.”

Cedric Mullins begins his rehab assignment tonight at Double-A Bowie. He hasn’t played since July 15, when he strained his right adductor groin muscle while running from first to third base on a foul ball.

The Orioles will attempt tonight to move a season-high 27 games above .500 and perhaps expand on their two-game lead over the second-place Rays.

Ryan O’Hearn is in right field again tonight and batting cleanup. Colton Cowser is in left field. Austin Hays is on the bench.

Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop again. Jordan Westburg is playing second base.

Ryan Mountcastle is 14-for-28 in his last seven games. He’s batting fifth and playing first base.

Kyle Gibson has posted three quality starts in a row to raise his season total to 12. He’s made eight career starts against the Mets and registered a 3.98 ERA and 1.721 WHIP in 40 2/3 innings.

Former Orioles pitcher Mike Boddicker didn’t hesitate when asked yesterday whether the Orioles can win the World Series, their first since the 1983 team that’s going to be honored prior to tonight's game. He pounced on the question like a dogpile on the mound.

“Heck yes,” he said.

“I look at these pitchers and stuff and I’m going, ‘Yeah, they’ve got enough, they’ve got enough.’ And they have fun. If you look down, they’re having fun.”

Build a 40^th anniversary reunion and they will come.

More than 20 players from ’83, ranging from superstars to modest contributors. They didn’t have the same careers but were on the same page about the similarities between their team and the 2023 Orioles, who won again last night and improved to 68-42.

The 1983 Orioles had three future Hall of Famers on their roster but also reserves who stepped up in pressure situations, contributions made from top to bottom that led to the organization’s last World Series championship.

This year’s club is reliant on 26 players, too early to know who might be ticketed for Cooperstown. And they keep finding new and creative ways to win.

It could be a starter or reliever, a regular or a backup. Many times, it’s a group effort.

In his first game against the Mets since they traded him in December, catcher James McCann had a two-run single in the fourth inning, a two-run double in the sixth and an RBI single in the seventh to tie his career high. Rookie Jordan Westburg reached base four times, scoring from first base in the sixth on Ryan O’Hearn’s tie-breaking fly ball that fell in right-center field, and hammering a 424-foot, three-run homer in the seventh.

Mike Baumann got a big double play to end the top half of the inning and retired all four batters that he faced.

More than 20 members of the Orioles 1983 World Series championship team are in Baltimore for the 40^th anniversary celebration. A few players didn’t expect to be invited back, saying their group won’t be the most recent to win a title.

They think this Orioles team is destined to make its own history.

A three-games series against the Mets begins with the Orioles holding the best record in the American League and second-best in baseball.

“Well, it’s really nice of them to say that, but we have a long way to go and big shoes to fill,” manager Brandon Hyde said today.

“That was a great team, so I’m excited to see some of these guys, meet some of them. I haven’t met very many of them, but fortunate to get to rub shoulders with Jim Palmer on most days and hear about ’83 stories and other Orioles past stories. It’s fun to have them here. It’s nice for them to be recognized in the ballpark, and they should be. It’s an awesome feat to win a World Series and they should be celebrated throughout the city.”

The Orioles are back home for a weekend series against the Mets, followed by three games against the Astros.

Ryan Mountcastle, who went 11-for-13 with four doubles and six RBIs in Toronto, is batting second and playing first base. He tied the club record for hits in a series of four games or fewer. Merv Rettenmund went 11-for-18 when the Orioles swept Cleveland in a four-game series in September 1971.

In 18 games since returning from vertigo, Mountcastle has gone 23-for-50 (.460) with a 1.220 OPS, seven doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs.

Adley Rutschman is leading off and serving as designated hitter. Gunnar Henderson is batting third and playing shortstop.

Ryan O’Hearn stays in right field. Jordan Westburg is the second baseman. Ryan McKenna starts in center field.

The Orioles’ posted lineup yesterday had Ryan McKenna in center field instead of Colton Cowser for the third game in a row. Three out of the four played at Rogers Centre.

Facing left-handers Hyun Jin Ryu and Yusei Kikuchi provided a built-in explanation. Sitting Cowser yesterday against right-hander Kevin Gausman required one.

Manager Brandon Hyde cited Gausman’s career reverse splits during his pregame session with the assembled media. But he also explained how a few days of extra work and batting practice could benefit Cowser, along with a chance to “relax.”

This is one way for a contender to handle a rookie’s struggles. The other, of course, would be to option him.

If wins weren’t as important in the grand scheme, like over the past four years, the Orioles could keep starting Cowser and view it as part of his development. But that won’t work in 2023.

TORONTO – Jack Flaherty’s Orioles debut got off to a rocky start today. But it quickly got better. And it mostly stayed that way, especially thanks to some clutch pitching from the right-hander in the last of the sixth. 

Flaherty allowed one run and four hits over six innings on 92 pitches as the Orioles beat Toronto 6-1 to win three of four in this series at Rogers Centre.

The Orioles (67-42) are 8-2 this year versus Toronto. Their AL East lead grows to two games over idle Tampa Bay.

Since July 20, the Orioles have gone 3-1 in both four-game series against their closest pursuers in the Rays and Jays. They also went 2-1 against the Yankees in that span. They are now 22-10 in their past 32 games over the last 10 AL East series, going 8-0-2 in those series.

“Complete team," Flaherty said of the Orioles. "You kind of new that coming in and you get around them and see what they’re about. They are a complete team. Offense, defense, pitching – they can do it all.”

TORONTO – He had three lights out games before last night, but his performance Wednesday led directly to the Orioles’ 4-1 loss against Toronto. Manager Brandon Hyde is trying to figure out how reliever Shintaro Fujinami can become more consistent with his command and control. And pitch without feeling too much pressure as well.

In three games before this one, he had thrown 4 2/3 scoreless with seven strikeouts. Then he came on in the sixth with two on and two outs and walked his first batter and then hit two in a row as Toronto took the lead without getting a hit.

“It’s a balancing act. You just try to do the best you can," said Hyde. "There is no real soft landing in the big leagues. Especially in August and you are trying to win and most of our games are close. It’s not ’19, ‘20 or ’21 here now. We’re trying to win games. And you do the best you can to try and put guys in position to have success. Try to have good conversations. Try to make guys relax as much as possible and make them feel good about themselves. Try to give them confidence as much as possible. But it’s their job to perform. We’re looking for guys that can help us win right now."

Right-hander Jack Flaherty (7-6, 4.43 ERA) makes his O’s debut today after the club acquired him Tuesday just minutes ahead of the trade deadline.

Flaherty went 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA and 1.416 WHIP in five July starts. In 13 starts since he gave up 10 runs in an early May game, he is 5-2 with a 3.58 ERA over 75 1/3 innings. He has six quality starts in that span.

Jack Flaherty makes his Orioles debut this afternoon in Toronto, as the Orioles try to rebound from last night’s 4-1 loss and claim their 21^st series.

Flaherty went 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA in five July starts with the Cardinals before Tuesday’s trade. His only career start against the Blue Jays was April 1 in St. Louis, and he tossed five scoreless and hitless innings with seven walks, four strikeouts and a hit batter.

Ryan O’Hearn is in right field today and batting cleanup, with Anthony Santander serving as the designated hitter. Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop, moving up to second in the order behind catcher Adley Rutschman.

Ryan McKenna stays in center field against a right-hander, leaving Colton Cowser on the bench. Jordan Westburg also sits, with Adam Frazier at second base and Ramón Urías at third.

Former Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman is 8-5 with 3.10 ERA and 1.128 WHIP in 21 starts, with 171 strikeouts in 127 2/3 innings. Gausman has allowed two earned runs or fewer in 11 of his last 14 games.