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.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of RHP Matt Bowman from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 51.
• Placed RHP Albert Suárez (right shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day Injured List, retroactive to March 29.

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

The Orioles aren’t strangers to elite prospects. 

For three consecutive seasons, Baltimore boasted the highest ranked minor leaguer in the game in Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday. 

Now, although there’s no No. 1 overall prospect in the system, the O’s still have two of the best prospects in the game in Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo. 

They, along with Chayce McDermott, Baltimore’s fourth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, feel like the last of the great wave of youngsters. 

Take a look at the prospect list from 2023: the top six players are all contributors at the big league level and combine to help form the foundation of the young Orioles. They’ve all, of course, since graduated from prospect status. 

TORONTO – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde isn’t asking for the world. He isn’t being unreasonable and pushing his ‘pen to perform beyond its limits.

Sitting in the visiting dugout yesterday, Hyde said, “I’m looking for guys to come in and throw strikes.”

That’s pretty much the extent of it just three games into the season.

“We need a little better strike throwing ability.”

Hyde will start there and figure out the rest.

TORONTO – The power flickered and came back on at Rogers Centre.

The Orioles hit six home runs on Opening Day, only one last night and two in the top of the first inning today against future Hall of Famer Max Scherzer that went a combined 851 feet. Held to three hits last night, they doubled that total by the fourth – five for extra bases.

A two-run lead was lost again but returned to them, and Jordan Westburg registered his first career multi-homer game in a 9-5 victory over the Blue Jays before an announced crowd of 27,005.

Used in a non-save situation, Félix Bautista allowed a one-out double to Bo Bichette, walked Anthony Santander with two outs and struck out three with his splitter in a scoreless ninth in his first game since Aug. 25, 2023, and the Orioles can do no worse than split their first series.

“That was so exciting for all of us," said manager Brandon Hyde. "All the people in this room know what he’s gone through and how he was itching to be a part of our team last year so badly and unable to do that. I was hoping for a situation that was as low-pressure as possible. Maybe a three-run lead with the bottom of the order. But it worked out and great to see him out there. Everybody was pumped up that he was coming into the game.

TORONTO – Heston Kjerstad and Gary Sánchez make their first starts this afternoon against the Blue Jays.

Kjerstad is playing right field and batting sixth. Sánchez is catching and batting seventh.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter and Ryan O’Hearn is playing first base. Ryan Mountcastle, Tyler O’Neill and Jorge Mateo are on the bench.

Jordan Westburg is batting cleanup. Jackson Holliday is the shortstop.

Dean Kremer makes his first start today. He has a 4.82 ERA and 1.536 WHIP in 11 career games against the Blue Jays. He’s allowed 10 runs and 24 hits in 22 1/3 innings at Rogers Centre.

TORONTO – Only two games into the season and some Orioles fans are wondering why Heston Kjerstad isn’t in the lineup.

Why wait until Day 3? Do it now and avoid the rush.

Kjerstad entered Thursday’s game in the eighth inning and threw out Alejandro Kirk from right field. Asked about it afterward, manager Brandon Hyde said, “Heston and (Jorge) Mateo, quick tag, keep the tag on.”

“I gave Heston a little bit of a heads up, but not much,” Hyde added, “and goes in the game and makes a really nice play.”

Heston didn’t play last night in an 8-2 loss. No one pinch-hit, pinch-ran or entered for defense. Kjerstad sat on the bench and watched the Orioles be held to three hits.

TORONTO – Charlie Morton paced back and forth in the dugout, the frustration keeping the veteran starter on his feet. His Orioles debut lasted 80 pitches in only 3 1/3 innings, two inherited runners scored and a lead fell apart like his outing.

There will be better days and nights for Morton. This one was a challenge from the beginning with a barrage of hard-hit balls from a Blue Jays team perhaps still ornery from yesterday’s Opening Day beatdown.

Jackson Holliday homered in the third inning and Tyler O’Neill had a sacrifice fly in the fourth, but the Jays put five runs on the board in the bottom half and won 8-2 at Rogers Centre.

No one’s getting a sweep in this series.

The Orioles raised the bar yesterday with 12 runs and six homers, but the bats calmed tonight. They were held to three hits and committed two errors.

TORONTO – Grayson Rodriguez did some long tossing in the outfield this afternoon and headed to the visiting bullpen for his second session since the Orioles put him on the injured list with inflammation in his right elbow/triceps area. Rodriguez was shut down after a cortisone injection, but he’s started a throwing progression.

Manager Brandon Hyde clarified that the two sessions were a “short box,” with the catcher set up closer than 60 feet six inches. Rodriguez will have a light session Sunday from regular distance.

“Kind of a mini side, a really, really light side,” Hyde said. "So the side progression starts Sunday.”

Reliever Andrew Kittredge stood next to Rodriguez in the outfield and did some throwing. He’s recovering from left knee surgery.

Gunnar Henderson is leading off and playing shortstop with Triple-A Norfolk to begin his rehab assignment. Hyde said Henderson probably will play at least seven innings.

TORONTO – Jorge Mateo is in tonight’s Orioles lineup at shortstop, with Jackson Holliday moving to second base and Jordan Westburg to third.

Mateo is batting ninth and Holliday rises to eighth.

Colton Cowser is leading off again and playing left field. Westburg remains the No. 3 hitter. Cedric Mullins moves up to sixth and Ryan Mountcastle drops to seventh.

Charlie Morton makes his Orioles debut. He’s started only twice at Rogers Centre and allowed two runs in 10 2/3 innings.

Bo Bichette is 5-for-16 with a double and home run against Morton, who at 41 years and 136 days is the oldest pitcher to start for the Orioles.

Just one spot in the O’s Opening Day lineup felt “different.” Batting fifth and playing right field for Baltimore, No. 9, Tyler O’Neill.

Anthony Santander, who had manned the corner outfield for the O’s for parts of the last eight seasons, trotted onto the Rogers Centre grass in Toronto blue. He hit third for Toronto and went 0-for-4 with a couple of runners stranded on base. 

All O’Neill did in his team debut was hit a home run in his sixth consecutive Opening Day, extending his own MLB record. That was part of his 3-for-3 day, plus two walks. Ho hum. 

So much has been made of the changes on the other side of the ball for Baltimore. The Orioles’ rotation was the hot topic of conversation all offseason long. 

After one year in an O’s uniform, Corbin Burnes is out in Arizona. Enter a full season of Zach Eflin, and free agents Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Kyle Gibson. 

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• RHP Roansy Contreras has cleared outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

TORONTO – Jorge Mateo had a locker set up this morning in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre that belonged to Livan Soto for yesterday’s workout. The media saw Mateo as he walked into the room before the Orioles headed onto the field for stretching and batting practice.

His arrival in Toronto was confirmed. And he wasn’t here just to visit teammates.

Mateo made the Opening Day roster. He overcame elbow surgery and odds that didn't favor him.

“At the beginning of camp I thought it was doubtful, just because he hadn’t done a whole lot and there was still some rehab left to accomplish,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We got him a lot of at-bats over the last seven-to-10 days, and he played a lot of shortstop, played a lot of second base, stuff people couldn’t see. There was a lot of back field. We had a lot of arms throw to him and Gunnar (Henderson) just to get those guys a lot of at-bats.

“I thought it was getting closer to being an option of him breaking with us a few days ago, and then the last few days he had good at-bats, he played a lot defensively, he recovered really, really well, so we made the decision to have him start with us.”

TORONTO – Jorge Mateo flew into Toronto last night and is on the Opening Day roster after collecting a sufficient number of at-bats down in Sarasota.

Livan Soto worked out yesterday, but he didn’t make the final cut. The Orioles reassigned him to Triple-A Norfolk.

Reliever Bryan Baker is on the roster. Matt Bowman cleared waivers and was outrighted to Norfolk. Roansy Contreras was designated for assignment.

Here’s the roster:

Starters
Zach Eflin
Charlie Morton
Dean Kremer
Tomoyuki Sugano
Cade Povich

he Orioles today announced the club’s 2025 Opening Day roster. The 26-man roster includes:

Happy Hollidays everyone! The day is finally here: the start of Major League Baseball’s regular season. 

The O’s open up their new campaign north of the border in Toronto. With consecutive playoff appearances but no October victories to show for it, Baltimore has something to prove. 

An energy and hunger was palpable at spring training. The locker room is eager to compete for an AL East crown and find more postseason success. 

Who will lead the team in home runs? Who will be the breakout star? Who will have the best facial hair? A new season means new predictions; dart throws that certainly won’t be held against us at a later time. 

Yesterday on “The Bird’s Nest,” Annie Klaff and I handed out some superlatives. I’ve provided my predictions below, but for Annie’s picks and more in-depth analysis, be sure to check out the full episode here: https://masn.me/qt7qjk0i