KANSAS CITY – Cedric Mullins is out of the lineup today for the first time this season, with Jorge Mateo playing center field in a right-handed heavy Orioles lineup.

Jordan Westburg is at second base, Ramón Laureano is in left field, Gary Sánchez is the designated hitter and Ramón Urías is playing third base.

Left-hander Cade Povich started the home opener against Boston and allowed three runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.

The Orioles can get back to .500 with a win. They fly to Arizona after the game.

The Orioles improved yesterday to a major league-leading 102-66 (.607) in 168 games on the road since the start of the 2023 season.

KANSAS CITY – As mock lineups go, this one seemed to border on the absurd.

MLB Network made a stop in Sarasota on its camp tour last month and took a shot at a potential order for the Orioles. Gunnar Henderson leading off and Adley Rutschman batting second were indisputable given the past, but Cedric Mullins hitting third seemed, to put it kindly, like an extreme reach.

Mullins was a prototypical leadoff hitter earlier in his career, with 398 starts easily his most, but he slid down later due to injuries, a decline in production since his 30/30 season, and other alternatives. He batted 46 times in the seventh spot last season, 32 times in the eighth and 24 in the sixth.

Manager Brandon Hyde penciled in Mullins third only one time and it happened on Sept. 13, 2024 in Detroit – a game most remembered for Gunnar Henderson’s two-out triple in the ninth that broke up a no-hitter. The Tigers used an opener, Beau Brieske, and Hyde got a little more creative.

The Orioles played their ninth game yesterday and Mullins was used in a seventh different spot, which STATS confirmed is a record in the modern era. The Athletics’ Billy McKinney in 2022 and the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez in 2015 were used in six. Hyde had Mullins third behind Henderson and Jordan Westburg, who’s done some moving of his own.

Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday. 

Three players who were top prospects in baseball. Two of whom were quite literally the best prospects in the game. All were drafted as shortstops. 

Even as they developed into future franchise cornerstones, they still didn’t settle into one position.

Holliday played second base, third base and shortstop throughout the course of 218 minor league games. Westburg played all three as well, plus left and right field for good measure. Henderson didn’t venture into the outfield grass, but played everywhere in the infield, including first base. 

The Orioles farm stressed versatility, and even the top prospects in the system followed suit. While their versatility has paid dividends at the big league level, it wasn’t “necessary” for them to advance through the system.  

KANSAS CITY – Gunnar Henderson swung at the second pitch of his 2025 season and lined out to short at 106.8 mph. He didn’t get on base, but he was back.

The Orioles are lagging behind with three losses in a row after tonight’s 8-2 defeat in Kansas City.

Henderson went 1-for-4 with an infield single in his last at-bat and also committed a fielding error on Salvador Pérez’s ground ball that he charged in the fourth. The game was as ugly as the weather with a start-time temperature of 47 degrees and rain falling all night, and the Orioles dropped to 3-5.

They haven’t been two games below .500 since their record stood at 42-44 on July 9, 2022.

The offense stalled again with two runs scoring in the second and nothing else. Henderson beat out a grounder with one out in the eighth and the Royals turned a 1-6-3 double play with Adley Rutschman at the plate.

KANSAS CITY – Gunnar Henderson wore a hooded sweatshirt and wool stocking cap as he charged ground balls at shortstop during today’s infield drills. The weather at Kauffman Stadium is cold and damp, but he managed to work up a sweat.

Henderson wiped his hair with a towel and pulled the cap onto his head again. The conditions are miserable, but he couldn’t have been happier. He’s playing for the Orioles again, ready to make his 2025 debut after recovering from a strained right intercostal. He didn’t need the sun to shine.

The Orioles reinstated Henderson from the injured list earlier today and optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson. Henderson is batting leadoff to start a three-game series against the Royals.

“It sucks having to watch your team play on TV. I’ll tell you that much,” said Henderson, who returned from a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk.

“Obviously, was very disappointed that I wasn’t well enough for the Opening Day roster, but I was able to get my work in and I’m ready to go now.”

KANSAS CITY – The Orioles reinstated shortstop Gunnar Henderson from the 10-day injured list this afternoon and optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk.

Henderson is recovered from the strained right intercostal that he sustained on Feb. 27. He appeared in five games on his injury rehab assignment and went 5-for-19 with two home runs.

Carlson was 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. He started in left field yesterday and had a sacrifice fly.

Henderson is leading off. Cedric Mullins is the cleanup hitter.

Jordan Westburg is at third base and batting third. Heston Kjerstad is in left field.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Reinstated INF Gunnar Henderson (right intercostal strain) from the 10-day Injured List
• Optioned OF Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.

The forecast in Kansas City is calling for rain and cold temperatures throughout the day. The Orioles are supposed to start a three-game series and the last time that I checked, Kauffman Stadium isn’t equipped with a retractable roof. Then again, I wasn't invited to the ballpark tour. Maybe there's an upgrade like the Camden Yards sound system.

If not, think warm and dry thoughts.

The mailbag isn’t waterproof and must stay indoors while I’m gone. I decided to dump out some of its contents to prevent an overflow when I get home. Hopefully, I haven’t covered a doubleheader.

You ask, I answer (most times), and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

Editor’s note: Some questions have been edited for … well … there was this one time that I … nope, nothing. I’ve just withheld the ones with the words “Roch” and “sucks.” Does that count as editing?

The mysterious uptick in Charlie Morton’s velocity didn’t return in the first inning today. His four-seam fastball was 93.3 to 94.6 mph against leadoff hitter Jarren Duran and topped at 94.7. And his third strikeout came on a curveball to Trevor Story, a pitch that produced only one out in his Orioles debut in Toronto.

If Morton was getting back to normal, he couldn’t enjoy it. Rafael Devers walked with one out in the first and Alex Bregman hit the next pitch, a sinker, to deep left field for a quick Red Sox lead.

Wilyer Abreu led off the second with a full-count walk, Kristian Campbell also worked the count full, and Morton hung a curveball that was launched to left at a distance of 389 feet.

The new dimensions in left aided Campbell. Bregman’s ball traveled 397 feet and didn’t need the benefit of a drawn-in wall. But both swings stung the Orioles in an 8-4 loss to the Red Sox before an announced crowd of 16,656 at Camden Yards that dropped them below .500 heading into their next road trip.

Morton struck out 10 batters in five innings, four short of his career high and the 28^th time that he’s reached double digits, and he exited with his pitch count at 98. He allowed five runs and six hits and walked two batters, and his ERA is 9.72 in two starts with the Orioles.

The Orioles wrap up their first homestand of the season with a lineup that doesn’t include Gunnar Henderson.

Henderson wasn’t at his locker this morning and he had a box and mail sitting on his chair.

Cedric Mullins is leading off today. Jordan Westburg is batting third.

Tyler O’Neill is the designated hitter, Heston Kjerstad is in right field and Dylan Carlson is in left.

Jackson Holliday is playing shortstop.

Everything was trending in the right direction for Colton Cowser. 

The defense was a known commodity. The second year outfielder brought elite range to the corner outfield, exceptional arm strength, and the versatility to play wherever needed. 

The speed, combined with the O’s increased emphasis on aggression on the basepaths, could’ve helped him reach 20 stolen bases. 

The bat was trending in the right direction during spring training, as the former first-round pick hit .364 with a .462 on-base percentage. Another 20-plus home run season seemed imminent. 

Cowser can still reach all of these benchmarks. He’ll just have six to eight fewer weeks to do it. 

Freshman Max Wagner wasn’t a key piece of Clemson’s lineup.

Entering the season, he was ranked as the 31st best freshman in the Atlantic Coast Conference by D1Baseball, and No. 36 by Perfect Game. 

Wagner did lead the team in a stat category in his first season: games off the bench. He was often used as a defensive replacement at the hot corner late in games. The infielder did make 22 starts at third base, but didn’t find much success, hitting just .215 with two home runs and a .651 OPS. 

For the first five games of 2022, it was back to being a late-inning defensive replacement. That was until he emerged as one of the country’s best hitters. 

In 58 games as a sophomore, Wagner hit .370 with an on-base percentage close to .500. He mashed 27 home runs and 15 doubles, slugged a ridiculous .852 and boasted a 1.348 OPS. He was named ACC Player of the Year, a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award, and first-team All-American by just about every outlet you could find. 

The Orioles used their home Opening Day to fish for compliments.

Fans had to be done complaining about a series split in Toronto and another injury. This was a time to party. The team was back at Camden Yards, the sun came out and players circled the bases in the first inning. The good times rolled, and no one got run over.

Cade Povich warmed to Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady” and looked like the real deal with eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings, but the pitch count got him – 94 of them. Manager Brandon Hyde was left to piece together the rest.

The first four relievers combined for 3 2/3 scoreless innings and the Orioles had another offensive surge in the eighth in an 8-5 win over the Red Sox before an announced sellout crowd of 45.002.

Félix Bautista warmed with the Orioles ahead 4-3 and had to pitch the ninth, no longer in line for his first save since Aug. 24, 2023. He entered to Omar's whistle and a rousing ovation, and he allowed two runs on a leadoff walk, wild pitch, Romy Gonzalez double and two-out broken-bat single by Jarren Duran. Rafael Devers walked but Alex Bregman popped up.

The freshness and boundless optimism of a new season haven’t kept another series of injuries from striking the Orioles.

They can run and dive, but they can’t hide.

The latest blow arrived this morning with outfielder Colton Cowser going on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left thumb. Manager Brandon Hyde expects Cowser to miss a minimum of six-to-eight weeks.

This isn’t how the Orioles wanted to begin their home Opening Day.

“It’s a big loss,” Hyde said. “This is a guy who was second in Rookie of the Year last year. … It’s going to be at least a couple months and gives other guys opportunity. It’s not gonna be the last injury we have this season. We’re gonna have things pop up and that’s why you create depth, and it gives other guys opportunities. But it’s a blow because Colton’s a really good player.”

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said outfielder Colton Cowser could miss six-to-eight weeks minimum with a fractured left thumb. Cowser was placed on the 10-day injured list this morning.

The injury occurred yesterday when Cowser dived into first base in the seventh inning at Rogers Centre. He was removed for a pinch-hitter in the ninth and underwent tests.

Outfielder Dylan Carlson was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. He's on the bench today for the home opener against the Red Sox.

Jordan Westburg is leading off today. He’s back in the lineup after sitting out yesterday’s game.

Hyde said Westburg is feeling a lot better after dealing with some “minor things.”

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled OF Dylan Carlson from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 15.
• Placed OF Colton Cowser (left thumb fracture) on the 10-day Injured List.

First base was a hot stove for the Orioles in January of 2023. 

On the first of the month, Baltimore sent Tyler Nevin to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. Hopefully, Mr. Considerations didn’t start looking for any apartments along the Inner Harbor, as just two days later, Cash was sent to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Ryan O’Hearn. 

On the fifth of the month, the O’s claimed Lewin Díaz off waivers from the Atlanta Braves. That same day, O’Hearn was designated for assignment, and Díaz followed six days later. 

Amidst a 40-man roster crunch, Baltimore hoped they could keep both first basemen around. Díaz was renowned for his defensive ability, and while O’Hearn had yet to put things together in the big leagues, he had dominated at the dish against Triple-A competition. 

There wasn’t much separating the two options at the time, but that’s certainly changed. 

TORONTO – Tomoyuki Sugano smiled this morning as he walked in and out of the clubhouse and down a hallway, nothing about his expression or mannerisms hinting at a first major league start and accompanying case of nerves.

He warmed up, faced his first batter and issued a four-pitch walk.

It wouldn’t be the worst part of his day.

Sugano made it through four innings and 73 pitches, went back to the mound for the bottom of the fifth and couldn’t continue. Manager Brandon Hyde, pitching coach Drew French and head athletic trainer Scott Barringer checked on him, and Sugano flexed his right hand before heading to the dugout.

Matt Bowman, whose contract was selected today with Albert Suárez going on the injured list, took over in the Orioles’ 3-1 loss to the Blue Jays before an announced crowd of 21.069. Sugano allowed two runs and four hits, with two walks and one strikeout before exiting due to unspecified “cramping.”

After consultation with Major League Baseball, Monday’s Home Opener at Oriole Park at Camden Yards between the Orioles and Boston Red Sox has been moved to 2:35 p.m. from 3:05 p.m. due to forecasted inclement weather.

Parking lot and gate times will remain the same, with lots opening at 11 a.m. and gates at 12 p.m. Fans attending the Home Opener are encouraged to be in their seats and fans at home are encouraged to tune to MASN by 2:00 p.m. to enjoy the Home Opener pregame festivities. 

TORONTO – Orioles reliever Albert Suárez went on the 15-day injured list this afternoon with right shoulder inflammation, a move that’s backdated to yesterday.

Matt Bowman’s contract was selected from Triple-A Norfolk. He’s wearing No. 51.

The 40-man roster is full.

Suárez allowed one earned run and two total with five hits in 2 2/3 innings Friday night, and his fastball velocity was about two mph lower than his average in 2024. Bowman gives the bullpen a fresh arm and one capable of providing length.

The Orioles selected Bowman’s contract last Sunday on his opt-out date, designated him for assignment before Opening Day and outrighted him to Norfolk. He made 15 appearances with the Orioles last season and posted a 3.45 ERA in 15 2/3 innings.