The Orioles optioned reliever Colin Selby to Triple-A Norfolk today and activated pitcher Scott Blewett, who was claimed on waivers yesterday from the Twins.

Selby allowed two runs and three hits in his only inning in Arizona after the Orioles recalled him Wednesday as the roster replacement for Zach Eflin, who’s on the injured list with a right lat strain.

Blewett, who turned 29 five days ago, was designated for assignment again on Saturday after the Twins selected his contract earlier in the week and he allowed one run with five strikeouts and no walks in 4 2/3 innings. He’s made 19 relief appearances in the majors and posted a 2.18 ERA in 33 innings.

Blewett is wearing No. 67.

The Orioles signed catcher Chadwick Tromp to a minor league deal on Sunday. They faced him a few times in spring training with the Braves.

Takes of all temperatures are flown about a variety of Orioles spaces. 

But one take should be freezing cold: this team sure knows how to draft. 

The minor league season is underway, and there are plenty of outstanding performances to highlight. The Orioles are in the midst of a long homestand, so let’s take some time to take a look down on the farm. 

The 2024 Draft Class 

The Orioles held the 22nd overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, their lowest first-round draft pick since 2016. With that choice, they selected Vance Honeycutt, an outfielder out of North Carolina. After a rocky start to his pro career, Honeycutt has started the 2025 season firing on all cylinders down in Aberdeen, to the tune of a .310/.487/.517/1.004 slash line. He does have 13 strikeouts through nine games, but he also leads the team in walks with nine. 

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Claimed RHP Scott Blewett off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. He has not yet reported.
• Designated LHP Luis González for assignment.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

You could pinpoint it.

An Orioles crowd donning orange had waited all day for the feeling to return: The feeling of the 2023 ballclub. The feeling that no lead was insurmountable, no deficit was too great. The energy and excitement of one of the best, young teams in baseball. 

Heston Kjerstad’s two-run home run to cut Toronto’s lead to one brought a hushed optimism to the fifth inning. A hope too delicate to hold onto for fear of its fickleness. 

Yes, we’re 14 games into the season. And no, a loss to the Blue Jays on a Saturday in early April would not have dashed the dreams of the 2025 campaign. But it felt as if Baltimore was on the wrong end of a slippery slope, and each scoreless inning a stumble. 

One swing flipped that feeling on its head.

The Orioles brought back their hydration station today, hoping to finally need it.

They weren’t hitting home runs. They weren’t doing much scoring. The first 13 batters were retired this afternoon. The dugout hoses were more decorative than functional.

And then, in a flash, they had a purpose again.

Heston Kjerstad cleared the center field fence in the fifth against Blue Jays starter Bowden Francis after Cedric Mullins walked. Adley Rutschman barreled a sinker with two outs in the sixth, took a couple steps and flipped his bat. The game was tied and Camden Yards was loud.

Mullins gave the Orioles a lead with a two-run double in the inning and the Orioles tied the club record with five double plays turned in a 5-4 victory before an announced crowd of 22,130.

The Orioles haven’t confirmed their rotation plans beyond left-hander Cade Povich on Sunday. However, the need for a fifth starter next Saturday apparently won’t tempt them to call up Kyle Gibson.

Gibson has made one start with Triple-A Norfolk and allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings.

“He’s gonna need a little more time,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Down the road a little bit.”

Hyde added that the Orioles want to get through Monday’s off-day before setting the rotation for the next two home series.

“We’re talking about a lot of things,” he said. “Povich tomorrow and then clear some things out.”

Tomoyuki Sugano will be decked out in the all-orange uniform, last worn by the Orioles on Aug. 13, 2010, for today’s home debut against the Blue Jays.

Sugano faced the Blue Jays in his first major league game and allowed two runs in four innings before exiting with cramping in both hands. He held the Royals to one run in 5 1/3 innings in his next start.

Heston Kjerstad is in left field and Ryan Mountcastle is batting eighth. Ryan O’Hearn is the designated hitter.

Jordan Westburg is batting cleanup again and playing third base. Jackson Holliday is at second.

Mountcastle is 5-for-7 with two doubles and two home runs against Blue Jays right-hander Bowden Francis. Gunnar Henderson is 2-for-5 with a double.

A reset is nice, but the Orioles are ready to start playing again after an off-day and rainout.

The forecast was miserable last night and left the club with no choice except to reschedule. The extended break should end today.

The Orioles keep attracting more questions only 13 games into the season. Here are three random selections:

What’s happening with the rotation?

Only two starters were confirmed for the Blue Jays series and they won’t need a third. Tomoyuki Sugano is pushed back to today, decked out in an all-orange uniform, and Cade Povich is moved to Sunday, a spot that was listed as TBA.

Orioles fans must wait to finally watch Tomoyuki Sugano pitch on his home mound.

Tonight’s game against the Blue Jays has been postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a split-admission doubleheader on Tuesday, July 29 at 12:35 p.m. The second game will begin as scheduled at 6:35 p.m.

Gates for game one will open at 11:35 a.m. and gates for the nightcap will open at 5:35 p.m. MASN will broadcast both games.

Fans with tickets for tonight will receive their same seat for game one of the doubleheader. Tickets for the originally scheduled July 29 game at 6:35 p.m. are still valid for that night. 

The first 10,000 fans attending the 12:35 p.m. game on July 29 will receive the clear stadium bag giveaway.

The Baltimore Orioles today announced that DARLINE LLAMAS LLOPIS will join the organization as the Chief Financial Officer, overseeing all budgeting, financial planning, and payroll for the club.

“Darline’s experience spans a wide range of industries and sports, arming her with the knowledge and skill that’ll support our growing business operation,” shared CATIE GRIGGS, Orioles President of Business Operations. “I look forward to working with Darline and the rest of our leadership team as we continue to strengthen our financial strategy and drive growth.”

“Joining the storied Orioles organization during such a transformative time is a dream come true,” shared Llamas Llopis.

Prior to joining the Orioles, Llamas Llopis spent four seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Hard Rock Stadium, and the F1 Miami Grand Prix as Vice President of Finance and Retail. In this capacity, she managed the finance, accounting, payroll, account payables, procurement, and merchandise operations for the team.

She also previously served for four years as the Director of Finance and Controller at the Los Angeles Rams. Llamas Llopis started her career in public accounting with Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers as a member of the Commercial Real Estate practice.

The Orioles need a reset, which makes the timing ideal for today’s break in the schedule.

They’ve fallen three games below .500 for the first time since being 41-44 on July 8, 2022. Top two starters Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez are on the 15-day injured list. Reliever Albert Suárez is on the 60-day injured list. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson has returned, but outfielder Colton Cowser could miss a few months with a fractured left thumb. Jordan Westburg was out of the lineup yesterday for a second time due to being “banged up” in the upper body - some “minor, nagging things,” per manager Brandon Hyde.

The health issues won’t totally fade during an off-day, but the Orioles overcame them in 2024 to make the playoffs again. They need to clear their heads, hopefully stay away from social media and remember that no one is running away with the division. They’re 13 games into 162.

The lineup looks better on paper than what’s happening on the field. They’ve scored 12, nine, eight, eight and five runs in five wins, but two, one, zero, four, two, one, three and zero in eight losses. They were held to four hits yesterday and their .373 slugging percentage and .682 OPS ranked 17^th in the majors.

Henderson will get hot. He’s only 4-for-25 with 10 strikeouts in six games. But should the Orioles keep cranking out different versions of the lineup or should regulars be planted in the same spots to see whether the consistency enables them to flourish?

PHOENIX – Ahead of Zac Gallen’s start for the Diamondbacks on Monday, Brandon Hyde described this series as “a test” for his Orioles lineup from a discipline standpoint. Baltimore couldn’t chase off the edges, or they’d be in for a long start to the week. 

On Monday, the O’s passed that test with flying colors. 

Gallen was knocked out of the game after 4 ⅔ innings, seven hits, four walks and five earned runs. He only struck out two after striking out 13 Bronx Bombers in his previous outing. Hyde called the performance “some of our best at-bats of the year.” 

In the first inning of Tuesday’s game, it seemed like much of the same. After two early runs off Merrill Kelly, the Birds seemed to be rolling. But the right-hander found a groove and 17 consecutive Orioles went hitless after Cedric Mullins’ two-run single in the first. 

So, in Game 2, the offense didn’t get the best grade with three runs on the board in a loss. 

PHOENIX – The Orioles have had key injuries just about everywhere. 

Superstar Gunnar Henderson is gearing up to play just his sixth game of the season and has not yet overlapped with Rookie of the Year runner-up Colton Cowser. Jordan Westburg has been dealing with minor injuries and has been given some days off. 

Amid some challenges in finding a rhythm, the lineup has remained solid, posting the seventh-best batting average and fifth-best OPS in the American League. Keeping the ebbs and flows to a minimum remains a hurdle. 

A starting rotation that was supposed to feature Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez now features neither after Eflin’s injury Monday evening. The right-hander now hits the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain, but manager Brandon Hyde did note today that Eflin “feels really good right now.”

Despite Eflin’s excellence, the rotation’s 5.34 ERA through a dozen games is just 12th best in the AL, and their .291 batting average against is fourth-highest. 

PHOENIX – The Orioles offense got off to a blistering start. Charlie Morton did not in what would be a 4-3 loss to the Diamondbacks. And after the game, things got worse.

Let's start with the worse news before getting to the bad news.

After the game, Brandon Hyde announced that Zach Eflin has a low-grade lat strain and will be shut down for "about a week." The plan is to "reassess from there, and hopefully he'll be back throwing at that point." It could've been worse news, but it certainly could've been better.

A plan for his replacement has yet to be determined, as O's coaches got the news during tonight's game.

Brandon Young would be a logical replacement. Already on the 40-man roster, the right-hander has made two starts to kick off the season with Triple-A Norfolk. He's totaled 11 1/3 innings and hasn't allowed a run while striking out 11 and walking just two. Couple that with his 3.94 ERA in 20 games for the Tides a season ago, and you're left with an ideal candidate to make a spot start or two. 

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled RHP Colin Selby from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Placed RHP Zach Eflin (right lat strain) on the 15-day Injured List, retroactive to April 8.

HOMESTAND HIGHLIGHTS

Friday, April 11

First Pitch: Akim Duchard, father of the late Akim Duchard-Davis

Giveaway: Clear Stadium Bag

The Orioles reached a point in the 2024 season when their entire rotation was on the injured list with the exception of ace Corbin Burnes. Three starters underwent reconstructive elbow surgeries in June. The team traded for Zach Eflin at the deadline and he also was shelved, missing the minimum 15 days with right shoulder inflammation.

The hope, of course, was that 2025 would be much kinder and gentler. Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are expected back after the All-Star break. They haven’t experienced any setbacks and are long-tossing and nearing clearance for light mound sessions. But the Orioles’ luck is turning sour again.

Grayson Rodriguez is out with inflammation in his right triceps/elbow. The drastic dip in velocity in Fort Myers wasn’t mechanical and Rodriguez wasn’t just feeling sluggish. The media wasn’t overreacting to it.

Albert Suárez was moved to the bullpen to serve in long relief and he lasted one appearance before going on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. The Orioles transferred him to the 60-day IL on Monday and diagnosed him with a subscapularis strain that will keep him out for an extended stretch.

“It’s going to be months," manager Brandon Hyde told the assembled media in Arizona. "Hopefully, just a few months, but it’s really unfortunate news. Thinking about him and hoping he recovers well.”

PHOENIX – Charlie Morton hasn’t been pitching like Charlie Morton.

The veteran wasn’t signed to be an ace, nor, really, to be the second starter in the Orioles rotation. But that’s where the 41-year-old has found himself slotted in Baltimore’s first trips around the order.

Baltimore signed him in hopes of capturing what he’s been the last few years: reliable, steady and consistent.

From 2021 to 2024, the then Atlanta Brave made 124 starts, averaging 31 per season. He delivered a solid 3.87 ERA, 1.250 WHIP and over 10 strikeouts per nine innings. That’s exactly what the Orioles needed: a rotation piece that would post every fifth day and keep you in ballgames, even if the numbers weren’t incredibly flashy.

In his first two games of 2025, Morton hasn’t found flash, nor has he found reliability. And he hasn’t found the ways in which he normally gets outs.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter tonight in Arizona, Ryan O’Hearn is playing first base and Ryan Mountcastle is on the bench.

Jordan Westburg is the third baseman and cleanup hitter. Tyler O’Neill is in right field and Heston Kjerstad is in left.

Jackson Holliday is the second baseman.

Charlie Morton has made two starts with the Orioles and allowed nine runs and 13 hits in 8 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 13 batters.

Morton is making his 16^th career start against the Diamondbacks. He’s registered a 4.27 ERA over 86 1/3 innings. Morton has made nine starts at Chase Field and registered a 5.19 ERA in 50 1/3 innings.

Club to recognize 2131 anniversary with celebration on September 6

he Orioles will celebrate one of the most remarkable feats in professional sports, as the club recognizes the 30^th anniversary of National Baseball Hall of Famer CAL RIPKEN, JR. surpassing the said-to-be-unbreakable record for consecutive games played. Ripken solidified himself as baseball’s version of Iron Man on September 6, 1995, when he took the field for his 2,131^st consecutive game, passing National Baseball Hall of Famer LOU GEHRIG’s mark of 2,130 games.

To kick off the celebrations, the Orioles will host Marvel Day at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Saturday, June 28, as the club hosts the Tampa Bay Rays at 4:05 p.m. ET. The day will be highlighted by the Cal Ripken Jr. | Iron Man Bobblehead presented by MDOT’s Work Zone Safety Campaign, for the first 20,000 fans, which depicts Ripken inspired by the popular super hero, his familiar moniker, and one of Marvel’s most iconic Avengers.

“In many ways the 1995 season seems like yesterday. Thirty years has flown by but the memories from that season and the night of September 6, are still fresh in my mind. I am looking forward to celebrating the anniversary of 2131 with all the fans at Oriole Park and grateful to the organization wanting to mark the date,” shared Ripken. “As I have said many times, the streak was really the culmination of the approach to the game that my dad taught us. The result was the streak and so many of the memories are of exchanges with the fans over the years about what it meant to them and their own personal streaks. It will be a fun celebration and a great look back, not to mention a pretty cool Iron Man bobblehead.”

“Every once in a while, we come across a creative ‘no-brainer’, like bringing together Marvel’s Iron Man with Baseball’s own Iron Man, Cal Ripken Jr.,” shared BRIAN CROSBY, Executive, Marvel Experiences Development, who helped create the bobblehead. “Designing Cal’s own unique armor inspired by Iron Man, complete with Baltimore Orioles colors and the number 8, was a thrill for me as a fan of both of these legendary icons. Working with the Baltimore Orioles and Cal was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait for the Oriole faithful and Marvel fans to bring one home!”