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ATLANTA – The Orioles’ catching situation didn’t seem like it could go from bad to worse.
Famous last words.
On June 21, Adley Rutschman hit the injured list with a left oblique strain, with an expected return after the All-Star break. Just two days later, Maverick Handley collided with Jazz Chisholm and went on the concussion injured list. He has yet to resume baseball activities. Same with Chadwick Tromp, who hit the IL on July 1 with lower back tightness.
Now, it’s Gary Sánchez who heads to the IL, with a moderate right PCL strain. There’s no timeline for his return just yet.
Sánchez had previously missed a significant amount of time with a wrist injury before returning on June 14. Since then, though, his offensive production has been a huge boost in the absence of Rutschman.
The Orioles go for their fourth sweep this morning in an 11:35 a.m. Roku game against the Braves.
Their record against the National League improved to 7-13, and they’re 1-6 in interleague series.
A win today would bring them to nine games below .500 for the first time since June 20 in New York.
Catcher Gary Sánchez left yesterday’s game with right knee discomfort and is out of today’s lineup. He underwent an MRI and the Orioles summoned David Bañuelos from Triple-A Norfolk for their medical taxi squad.
Running thin again at the position, the Orioles acquired catcher Alex Jackson from the Yankees today in exchange for international bonus pool space and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
- Selected the contract of C Alex Jackson from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 70.
- Placed C Gary Sánchez (right knee sprain) on the 10-day Injured List.
- Transferred INF/OF Jorge Mateo (left hamstring strain) to the 60-day Injured List.
The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.
The Orioles today announced that they have acquired minor league catcher ALEX JACKSON from the New York Yankees in exchange for international bonus pool space and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Jackson, 29, is batting .226/.308/.463 (37-for-164) with seven doubles, one triple, 10 home runs, 31 runs scored, and 34 RBI in 44 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. He’s thrown out 26.3 percent (10-of-38) of stolen base attempts for the RailRiders.
The former No. 6 overall pick by the Seattle Mariners in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft has appeared in 124 major league games between the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, and Tampa Bay Rays while slashing .132/.224/.232 (40-for-302) with 12 doubles, six home runs, 30 runs scored, and 24 RBI. Jackson has caught 29.1 percent (16-of-55) of would-be base stealers in his MLB career.
After signing a minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds on November 8, 2024, he was acquired by the Yankees along with right-handed pitcher Fernando Cruz in exchange for catcher Jose Trevino on December 20, 2024. Jackson has been part of five trades in his career, including to the Marlins from the Braves in exchange for outfielder Adam Duvall on July 30, 2021.
The All-Star reserves and pitchers will be announced at 5 p.m. on ESPN, and the Orioles find out whether Ryan O’Hearn has company on his return trip to Atlanta, where they conclude a three-game series against the Braves with an 11:35 a.m. Roku start.
Most of the All-Star attention seems to be focused on second baseman Jackson Holliday, who advanced to Phase 2 in his bid to start for the American League but lost to the Tigers’ Gleyber Torres. Holliday stroked a game-tying, run-scoring single yesterday against the Braves but was in a 2-for-24 slump before the hit.
Holliday is deserving of a selection and would be a fun story as the 21-year-old former first-overall draft pick whose father, Matt, was a seven-time All-Star.
Ramón Laureano has entered the chat. He began yesterday batting .273/.341/.508 with 14 doubles and 10 home runs in 60 games, and he delivered a tie-breaking double yesterday in the 10th inning.
He also has those seven outfield assists.
ATLANTA – Last night’s Fourth of July contest between the O’s and Braves didn’t provide many fireworks. This afternoon, though, the clubs certainly made up for it, combining for five home runs in an extra-innings thriller.
The Orioles came out on top, 9-6.
After facing three elite starting pitchers in Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and Spencer Strider, it was just the performance the bats needed to get back on track.
"I feel like our guys have swung the bat good here for the last month, and I thought today was a pretty good indication of it," Tony Mansolino said after the game. "We faced a really good Major League bullpen, a lot of left-handed pitching, that thing that’s been tough on us here over the last year-and-a-half. And after 10 innings to walk out with nine runs, you have to be pleased."
Dean Kremer was on the mound for Baltimore, looking to continue his great stretch of starts since May 1. A big key was that he needed to avoid the big inning.
Orioles catcher Gary Sánchez avoided a second trip to the injured list after a Gregory Soto pitch in the dirt nailed him on the finger Tuesday night at Globe Life Field.
Can he do it again?
Sánchez exited today’s game against the Braves in the bottom of the fifth inning with right knee soreness after making a tag at the plate to end the fourth. He was in obvious pain, as shown on the MASN broadcast.
Austin Riley doubled to left field with two outs to score Ronald Acuña Jr. with the tying run. Colton Cowser retrieved the ball and fired to Gunnar Henderson, whose relay nabbed Matt Olson.
Sánchez made the sweeping tag and got his left arm tangled with Olson, which appeared to be the source of the injury. But the team identified it as his knee.
Coby Mayo is out of the lineup today for the fourth game in a row, as the Orioles continue their series against the Braves in Atlanta.
Mayo came off the bench for one at-bat Tuesday night in Texas. He has 11 hits and eight RBIs in his last 37.
Tyler O’Neill is in right field for the first time since going on the injured list and missing almost two months. He was the designated hitter last night.
Ramón Laureano is the DH and cleanup hitter. Gary Sánchez is catching.
Dean Kremer has lowered his ERA to 4.27 in 17 games (16 starts). He tossed seven scoreless innings against the Rays in his last outing, and opponents have managed only two runs in 17 2/3 in his last three starts. He hasn’t surrendered a home run in his last seven starts.
The mailbag didn’t make it any further than the first leg of the road trip. Given the rash of injuries, just be glad that it didn’t strain a muscle. Or get a rash.
The Orioles are playing the Braves in Atlanta and I’m sorting through the latest round of questions. You ask, I try to answer, and we have another sequel to the beloved 2008 original.
I don’t care about clarity, length, style or brevity, but I do care about Beavers, and young Dylan gets some attention today.
Also, my mailbag is an All-Star and your mailbag has its insurance coverage dropped by Allstate.
What happened to Emmanuel Rivera?
Rivera cleared outright waivers again and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. Again. Wash, rinse ... you know the drill.
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
- RHP Matt Bowman has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.
- INF Emmanuel Rivera has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.
The Orioles have made the following roster move:
- Reinstated OF Tyler O’Neill (left shoulder impingement) from the 10-day Injured List.
Tyler O’Neill was reinstated from the injured list earlier today, giving the Orioles their projected starting outfield with Cedric Mullins and Colton Cowser.
O’Neill has appeared in only 24 games this season due to neck inflammation and a left shoulder impingement. His last at-bat in the majors was May 15.
During his absence, O’Neill remained stuck in 1-for-23 and 2-for-38 slumps. His last home run was hit April 13.
The Orioles optioned Dylan Carlson after Wednesday's game in Texas in anticipation of O'Neill's return.
O’Neill is expected to be in the lineup tonight, as the Orioles begin a three-game series against the Braves in Atlanta.
The Orioles have made the following roster move:
- Optioned OF Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.
ARLINGTON, Texas – Another check on the trade interest generated by the Orioles still finds teams targeting their bullpen and All-Star first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. Nothing has changed or should be deemed as surprising.
Any club in the market for relievers is keeping tabs on Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto and Andrew Kittredge. The $9 million option on Kittredge’s contract could be a deterrent in some organizations or bring appeal due to the controllability.
I had one scout suggest that the cost might be too rich for his team’s ownership, but that certainly won’t be true with others.
I’ve also heard Keegan Akin’s name come up with a few teams. He’s got another year of arbitration eligibility and can be used in long relief and as an opener.
Akin surrendered a game-tying three-run homer to Adolis García in the 10th inning Monday night and went on the 15-day injured list yesterday with shoulder inflammation. He’s allowed four earned runs and five total with nine hits in his last four appearances covering 4 1/3 innings and has raised his ERA from 2.67 to 3.32.
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Orioles made another series of roster moves today and celebrated Ryan O’Hearn’s election to the All-Star Game. They addressed their latest injury and dodged a more serious one. And they hoped that, at some point in the 2025 season, they might jump off the wave that lifts and dumps them.
They had another splashdown tonight at Globe Life Field.
Marcus Semien hit a three-run homer off Tomoyuki Sugano in the third inning, and the lead grew, along with the right-hander’s slump, in a 6-0 loss to the Rangers.
Ezequiel Duran’s two-run single in the fourth and Corey Seager’s leadoff homer in the fifth pushed Sugano further into the deep end, and the Orioles couldn’t rescue him. They need to find some answers.
The impressive beginning to Sugano’s major league career has given way to a stretch of 22 earned runs (23 total) and 40 hits allowed over 22 1/3 innings in five outings. His ERA is 4.44.
ARLINGTON, Texas – The voting is done. The results are in. And Ryan O’Hearn will get less time to rest at the All-Star break.
He couldn’t be happier.
O’Hearn finished first at designated hitter for the American League by receiving 78 percent of the votes, placing ahead of the Yankees’ Ben Rice. He won the Phase 1 balloting to reach the two-man final and held his ground.
Second baseball Jackson Holliday finished behind the Tigers’ Gleyber Torres but still can make the team as a backup.
Pitchers and reserves, totaling 23 for each league, are determined through a combination of “Player Ballot” choices and selections coming from the commissioner’s office. The rest of the rosters will be announced Sunday at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
ARLINGTON, Texas – Gary Sánchez stays in the Orioles lineup tonight after being hit on the finger last night in the eighth inning.
The X-rays must have come back negative because Sánchez is the designated hitter. Jacob Stallings makes his first start with the Orioles.
Jordan Westburg is out of the lineup for a fifth consecutive day due to soreness in his left index finger.
Ramón Laureano is playing right field and batting second. Ryan O’Hearn is the first baseman and cleanup hitter. Coby Mayo is on the bench.
On a busy day, the Orioles also signed infielder/outfielder Jose Barrero to a minor league contract.
The Orioles have made the following roster move:
- Agreed to terms on a 2025 minor league contract with INF/OF Jose Barrero.
ARLINGTON, Texas – The Orioles conclude their series against the Rangers tonight after another round of roster moves, the latest aimed at reshuffling the bullpen.
Yennier Cano has returned from Triple-A Norfolk and left-hander Keegan Akin goes on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation. The Orioles selected Corbin Martin’s contract from Norfolk and designated Matt Bowman for assignment again.
Cano was optioned June 22 after posting a 4.73 ERA and 1.388 WHIP in 32 appearances. He pitched twice for Norfolk and allowed one run in two innings.
Akin surrendered a game-tying, three-run homer to Adolis García in the 10th inning Monday. He allowed four earned runs and five total with nine hits in his last four outings over 4 1/3 innings.
Martin hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2022 with the Diamondbacks. The Orioles claimed him on waivers from the Brewers in May 2024 and he has 5.29 ERA in 29 appearances with the Tides.
The Orioles have made the following roster moves:
- Recalled RHP Yennier Cano from Triple-A Norfolk.
- Selected the contract of RHP Corbin Martin from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 48.
- Placed LHP Keegan Akin (left shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day Injured List, retroactive to July 1.
- Designated RHP Matt Bowman for assignment.
The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.
