SAN DIEGO - Before the Orioles could hand Tyler Wells the ball tonight, they had to reinstate him from the 60-day injured list and do some roster maneuvering.

They also returned infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo from his rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 60-day IL, a little earlier than they indicated yesterday. He’s also back.

Catcher Maverick Handley was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after spending one day with the team. Pitchers Corbin Martin and Elvin Rodríguez were designated for assignment. Martin was with the Orioles, and his exit frees up another spot on the 28-man roster.

The 40-man roster is full.

Mateo hasn’t played in the majors since June 6 due to elbow and hamstring injuries. He’s batting .180/.231/.279 with 14 steals in 15 attempts over 31 games.

The business side of baseball reared up and bit reliever Roansy Contreras earlier today with news that the Orioles designated him for assignment to make room for right-hander Shawn Dubin.

Contreras finally got the call this week and made his Orioles debut last night, tossing 4 1/3 scoreless innings behind opener Dietrich Enns. He’s out of minor league options and would need to pass through waivers before the Orioles could outright him.

“Those are tough decisions,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “There was a lot of time spent on that, trying to figure out what the right thing to do was. We’ve got a lot of smart people who are looking at a lot of different type of information and trying to make the best decision they can.

“The coach in me wants him to get claimed because we want our players to play in the major leagues and get opportunities. The Baltimore Oriole in me wants him to get through and go unclaimed and be back in the fold for us.”

Dubin will be in the bullpen today.

The second pitch thrown by Roansy Contreras with the Orioles drilled Alex Bregman in the middle of the back. Bregman winced and bent forward as the Red Sox’s athletic trainer rushed onto the field. Contreras had followed an opener and raised a welt.

Contreras was a pain to the Red Sox for most of his outing, retiring 12 of 14 after Bregman reached base in the Orioles’ 3-2 loss before an announced crowd of 16,790 at Camden Yards. He tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings, with three hits allowed, and came close to earning his first win since July 28 with the Angels.

That reward went up in smoke in the ninth inning on Ceddanne Rafaela's two-run homer off Keegan Akin after Jarren Duran's leadoff single. Akin stood with his hands on his hips as the ball headed for the splash zone.

"I felt really good, especially because I had worked with (Samuel) Basallo down in Triple-A, so I think that made it much easier to go out there today and get the job done," Contreras said via interpreter Brandon Quinones.

"I'm very thankful to the Orioles organization for giving me the opportunity to be up in the big leagues and be here with them now. So, I'm very thankful for them."

The Orioles are tampering with their roster again, with two more players coming in and two more going out.

Roansy Contreras was activated from the taxi squad and had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk, and he’ll work in bulk relief tonight, his first major league appearance since Sept. 29, 2024 with the Angels. He posted a 3.73 ERA in 28 appearances (14 starts) with Norfolk.

Infielder Emmanuel Rivera also had his contract selected.

To create room, the Orioles optioned Yaramil Hiraldo, who was charged with three runs last night in 1 1/3 innings and has a 5.65 ERA in 12 games, and they designated infielder Vimael Machín for assignment. They also transferred pitcher Brandon Young (hamstring) to the 60-day injured list, which ends his season.

Contreras will be the 64^th player used by the Orioles this season, two more than the franchise record set in 2021.

The Orioles summoned right-hander Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Norfolk today and placed him on the taxi squad.

The visit will last more than 24 hours.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino needs a starter for Wednesday night and said Contreras is going to pitch “a good amount.” The exact role is undetermined, but another roster move is lurking.

Contreras could start or work in bulk relief behind an opener.

“A lot will kind of depend on how we go through today,” Mansolino said.

BRADENTON, Fla. – Riley Cooper had no idea.

A combined no-hitter was brewing today and it rested in Cooper’s left hand as the Orioles reliever selected for the bottom of the ninth inning.

A 13^th-round draft pick out of LSU in 2023. A low A-ball pitcher with 24 games of professional experience.

The pressure he felt also was surprisingly low.

“Pitching’s pitching,” he said, “so I just went in there and did my thing.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Orioles are keeping their everyday players back in Sarasota today for a morning workout and a break, with backups and minor leaguers facing the Red Sox at JetBlue Park.

Samuel Basallo is playing first base and Coby Mayo is at third. Gary Sáchez is catching.

Dylan Beavers is in left field and Enrique Bradfield Jr. is in center.

Ramón Urías (left hamstring) and Emmanuel Rivera (left shoulder) remain out of the lineup. Urías hasn’t played since Wednesday and Rivera since Thursday, but their returns are coming soon.

Right-hander Roansy Contreras is starting for the Orioles. He’s made four relief appearances and allowed five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He’s also surrendered three home runs.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was asked a few days ago about a drama-free camp, how the only injuries were sustained prior to the report dates. The conversation included warnings about the risks of jinxing it.

Here we are.

We learned earlier today that Jordan Westburg hasn’t played since Saturday due to lower-back soreness. And shortstop Gunnar Henderson exited today’s game after one inning with lower right side discomfort.

No further details are available. Manager Brandon Hyde will provide an update in his post-game media scrum.

Henderson made a nice running grab of Bo Bichette’s line drive in the first. He led off the bottom of the inning with a ground ball to first baseman Will Wagner, who bobbled it and flipped to pitcher Easton Lucas.

The opportunities to empty the offseason mailbag are dwindling. Spring training is right around the corner. Who’s excited?

That’s my only question. The rest must come from the readers.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

I don’t tamper with length, style, clarity or brevity. I usually don’t bother to shower. This is a very casual mailbag.

Also, my mailbag reports early and yours has visa problems and a maxed-out AMEX card.

Orioles control owner David Rubenstein spoke to Yahoo Finance this week at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He mentioned twice how the Orioles are in “pretty good shape," endorsed a salary cap and went over some of the ballpark renovations.

The club’s payroll has risen to 15^th in the majors at $156 million, per Roster Resource, and we’re waiting for the outcome of Jorge Mateo’s salary figure exchange. He’s seeking $4 million and the Orioles countered at $3.1 million.

Rubenstein described the payroll as “consistent with our needs,” and added, “I don’t think anybody is not playing with the Orioles because of money reasons."

“Spending the most money doesn’t always guarantee you a World Series championship," he added, "and in fact many times people with smaller payrolls have won the World Series. I’m reasonably optimistic we’re gonna do well this year.”

Rubenstein explained how the luxury tax works, with a penalty incurred for teams going over it.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Claimed INF Jacob Amaya off waivers from the Chicago White Sox.
• Designated RHP Roansy Contreras for assignment.

The offseason roster churn continued today for the Orioles and pitcher Roansy Contreras.

The club claimed infielder Jacob Amaya on waivers from the White Sox and designated Contreras for assignment. The 40-man roster remains full.

Amaya, 26, was designated for assignment on Jan. 8 to create a spot for Jose Rojas. The White Sox claimed him on waivers from the Astros in August.

The right-handed hitting Amaya was a Dodgers 11-round pick in the 2017 draft out of South Hills High School in California. He appeared in four games with the Marlins in 2023, one with the Astros last year and 23 with Chicago, batting a combined .182/.222/.195. He went 12-for-67 (.179) for the White Sox.

Amaya has experience at second base, shortstop and third base. He could report to spring training and vie for a utility job if he remains in the organization.

Right-hander Roansy Contreras is on the move again this offseason, with the Orioles being his fifth organization since 2024.

The Orioles claimed Contreras on waivers from the Reds this afternoon. He’s out of minor league options and could report to spring training trying to compete for a bullpen spot.

Contreras, 25, split the past season between the Pirates and Angels and posted a 4.33 ERA and 1.288 WHIP in 37 games, including three starts. He debuted for the Pirates in 2021, his lone appearance producing three scoreless innings in a start, and he’s registered a 4.72 ERA in 90 outings.

The Yankees signed Contreras as a free agent in 2016 and traded him to the Pirates five years later in the Jameson Taillon deal. The Angels selected his contract in May 2024, the Rangers claimed him on waivers Oct. 31 and he landed with the Reds on Dec. 19.

Contreras was designated for assignment this week after the Reds acquired infielder Gavin Lux from the Dodgers. He has a 5.47 ERA since the beginning of 2023, a 18.5 percent strikeout percentage and 10.5 percent walk rate.