The Orioles aren’t listing starters for Thursday night or the three-game weekend series against the Rockies. The rotation is fluid after the decision to push back Jack Flaherty.

Flaherty said he didn’t bounce back after his last start in San Diego. Specifics are scarce.

“It was decided yesterday pregame to just give him a little bit extra time,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “In his catch play yesterday, there’s a little bit of soreness, and so we just wanted to give him a little bit of a break, and we moved up Dean (Kremer) to today.”

Hyde described it as “general” soreness, which “normally goes away over the course of between starts, and we feel like we want to be a little bit precautionary with him and just let him not make his start today.”

Flaherty was acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline to provide a veteran presence and someone who could handle a heavier workload, and a six-man rotation was built to spare the younger arms and make it easier control innings. But Flaherty's return date after three starts with the Orioles isn’t determined.

Jack Flaherty said he was scratched from tonight’s start against the Blue Jays because “sometimes you don’t bounce back the way you want to.”

Flaherty is referring to his Aug. 15 start in San Diego, when he allowed seven runs in three innings and came out after 84 pitches.

“You just try to make the right decision of making sure that you feel right,” Flaherty said. “Sometimes after starts you just don’t bounce back the way you want to.”

Flaherty declined to share any specifics, saying “just in general.”

“Throwing yesterday, just didn’t quite feel like you quite bounced back, and sometimes those are hard decisions to make, especially when you want to take the ball every time out. Just one of those things.”

The Orioles have changed starters tonight, with Jack Flaherty scratched from his assignment.

Dean Kremer is starting against the Blue Jays, and Thursday is now listed as TBA.

A couple breaks in the schedule and a six-man rotation put Kremer on six days’ rest following his outing in San Diego.

No explanation was provided for the switch. Manager Brandon Hyde will address it later today in his media session.

Flaherty was supposed to make his fourth start with the Orioles. He’s allowed 10 runs over eight innings since his one-run debut in Toronto.

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle made a diving catch and slapped his mitt on the bag, almost in one smooth motion. A double play with style points that kept the deficit at one run. A moment that the 2023 Orioles tend to use as a springboard to a comeback.

The Blue Jays scored again to stretch the lead. They handed reliever Mike Baumann his first loss in the 10th inning.

It doesn’t always work.

Jordan Westburg roped a game-tying double down the left field line off reliever Yimi García in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Orioles stranded two in the ninth and Brandon Belt hit a first-pitch homer off Baumann in the Blue Jays’ 6-3 victory before an announced crowd of 20,612 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles (77-48) had a chance to rise more than 30 games above .500 for the first time since Sept. 25, 2014. They’re 27-14 in series openers, and 8-3 against the Jays.

Tyler Wells is moving from Double-A Bowie to Triple-A Norfolk, where he’ll pitch in relief Wednesday night in a new twist to his injury rehab assignment that reverts back to his past.

Wells made three starts with the Baysox and allowed three runs in 8 2/3 innings. The Orioles restricted him to two innings and 27 pitches on Saturday as part of their plan.

“We’re going to shorten his outings a little bit, just have him throw less pitches and less innings and kind of see how that goes,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “But we’re really encouraged by giving him some rest, giving him some time off. He’s throwing the ball much better here as of late, so we’re going to put him in Norfolk.

“Different ball, more like the major league baseball, and put him in the bullpen there and then see how that goes.”

Wells was a Rule 5 reliever in 2021 before the Orioles converted him back to starter the following spring. They’re using a six-man rotation and can more easily control Wells’ innings in the bullpen after he threw 113 2/3 this season, 10 more than last year.

The Orioles are back home tonight and trying to improve their record to 28-13 in series openers.

Anthony Santander is out of the lineup again with lower-back soreness. Ryan McKenna is in right field.

Gunnar Henderson is batting third. Austin Hays is the cleanup hitter.

James McCann is catching, with Adley Rutschman serving as designated hitter.

Ryan Mountcastle has reached base in 26 consecutive games. He went 11-for-13 against the Blue Jays during a four-game series in Toronto.

On Sept. 24, 2014, the Orioles defeated the Yankees 9-5 in the Bronx to move 32 games above .500. They lost their next three, won 1-0 in Toronto and finished the regular season 96-66.

The 2023 edition is 77-47 heading into tonight’s series opener against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards, with a chance to soar 31 games beyond the .500 mark for the first time in nine years.

Can’t clip those wings, though strains happen. And be careful with that back.

I remind myself of this daily as I hoist my mailbag. Lift with the legs, the only exercise they get.

I’m lightening the load by answering a few more questions this morning, the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original, while my body adjusts to East Coast time.

OAKLAND – Jorge Mateo paused before sprinting out of the batter’s box, knowing he hit JP Sears’ changeup a long way, thinking maybe it would clear the fence in left-center field. He slowed as he got halfway to second base, realized that Lawrence Butler wouldn’t make the catch or contain the ball, and slipped into another gear.

The Jorge Mateo gear that few players can find.

Mateo dived across home plate, with the Athletics botching the relay and unable to challenge him. His first home run since April 30, in a month where he hit six of them.

Austin Hays drove in two runs on a ball that deflected off Sears and bounced into shallow left field to pad the lead.

The Orioles wouldn’t just sweep the Athletics. They decided to get creative with it.

OAKLAND – Anthony Santander is out of the lineup again this afternoon, as the Orioles conclude their 10-day road trip and attempt to sweep the Athletics.

Santander is day-to-day with back soreness.

Ryan McKenna is in right field and Gunnar Henderson is the designated hitter. Austin Hays is in left field and batting cleanup.

Jordan Westburg moves down from fourth to seventh. He’s starting at second base, with Ramón Urías at third and Jorge Mateo handling shortstop.

Ryan Mountcastle extended his on-base streak to 25 games last night. Jonathan Schoop is the last Oriole with a 26-game streak in 2017.

OAKLAND – The crowd didn’t rise to its feet or generate even a smattering of applause. A tribute didn’t play on the video boards.

Cole Irvin could have been any other starter tonight, his return to Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum met with utter indifference.

Irvin’s fourth pitch nailed leadoff hitter Esteury Ruíz on the left elbow. At least he got someone’s attention.

Appearing at the ballpark for the first time since a January trade to the Orioles, Irvin held the Athletics to one run over five innings and departed with a lead.

Shintaro Fujinami also came back for the first time, the response muted until Aledmys Díaz hit a game-tying home run in the sixth. Then, it got pretty loud.

OAKLAND – The Orioles primarily right-handed lineup tonight against Athletics left-hander Ken Waldichuk includes Ryan McKenna in right field and Jordan Westburg playing second base and batting cleanup.

McKenna was recalled today from Triple-A Norfolk, with Aaron Hicks going on the 10-day injured list.

Westburg is making his cleanup debut. He’s the 11^th player to bat fourth this season.

Anthony Santander is out of the lineup after leaving last night’s game with “general soreness,” per manager Brandon Hyde.

Gunnar Henderson moves down to third in the order. James McCann is catching.

OAKLAND – The Orioles couldn’t wait any longer for outfielder Aaron Hicks.

Hicks was placed on the 10-day injured list this morning with a lower-back strain, the move retroactive to Wednesday. Outfielder Ryan McKenna was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

Hicks is making his second trip to the IL. He missed three weeks with a left hamstring strain, returned Monday in San Diego and lasted seven innings before leaving with the back discomfort.

“It’s kind of hit or miss right now,” Hicks said yesterday. “What I’m really trying to get over the hump with is hitting. I wake up, I have good mobility, and as soon as I start hitting it kind of starts to flare up a little bit. It’s what I’m dealing with.

“It’s just annoying. Walking around I feel fine, doing little things feel fine, rotation feels fine. And then as soon as I start to try to fire it up and get moving as fast as possible is when it starts wanting to shut down.”

OAKLAND – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde posted another lineup yesterday that didn’t include Aaron Hicks.

Hyde isn’t playing matchups.

He can’t play Hicks.

The veteran outfielder retained his day-to-day status with discomfort in his back. He exited Monday night’s game in San Diego in the eighth inning after singling twice, with Austin Hays replacing him in left field.

Hyde won’t broadcast his players’ availability to the opposing manager, but Hicks didn’t appear in the next two games of the series and followed Thursday’s off-day by sitting again last night.

OAKLAND – Using an opener tonight didn’t work for the Athletics. Bringing in a rookie behind him didn’t work.

The idea of a Jerry Garcia tie-dye promotion also backfired, with the Orioles truckin’ around the bases.

The Orioles scored three times in the first inning, built on their lead with Gunnar Henderson’s long two-run homer in the second, and defeated the Athletics 9-4 before an announced crowd of 8,942 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Henderson had three hits and three RBIs by the fourth inning, and the Orioles improved to 75-47 overall, 39-24 on the road, 27-13 in series openers and 16-5 in openers away from Camden Yards.

The win also assured that they would go 79 consecutive series without being swept. They still lead the Rays by two games in the division.

OAKLAND – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde didn’t know which pitcher would start for the Athletics tonight until receiving a text message yesterday afternoon from manager Mark Kotsay.

“Pro move by him,” Hyde said.

Hyde’s club would face an opener, left-hander Francisco Pérez, who’s never started in the majors. Pérez made four relief appearances with the Guardians in 2021, 10 with the Nationals last season and two with Oakland this year.

Pérez hasn’t started in the minors since 2019.

“Usually, if you change your starter, it’s kind of an unwritten professionalism type of thing to let the other team know, as much advance as you can give them. And then you want to reciprocate it, too,” Hyde said.

OAKLAND – Aaron Hicks remains out of the Orioles lineup as they resume their West Coast trip with three games against the Athletics.

Jordan Westburg is batting ninth and playing third base. Adam Frazier is the second baseman.

Adley Rutschman stays in the leadoff spot, followed by shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter and attempting to extend his on-base streak to 24 games. Cedric Mullins is batting sixth, followed by Austin Hays.

In Kyle Gibson’s last start in Seattle, he allowed a career-high nine runs and tied his career high with 12 hits. He faced the Athletics on April 10 and held them to one run in 6 1/3 innings.

SAN DIEGO – Be careful with the soft spots in the schedule.

The footing can get slippery.

The Orioles are playing teams below .500 in four out of the next five series, beginning with the Padres and including a trip to Oakland. A reprieve on paper. A trap on the field the past two nights.

Left-hander Blake Snell held the Orioles to two runs over six innings, the bullpen was sturdy, and the Padres won again 5-2 before an announced sellout crowd of 42,318 at Petco Park.

The Orioles have gone 3-3 on their West Coast excursion, and their lead over the second-place Rays is down to two games going into the off-day.

SAN DIEGO – The Orioles are keeping their rotation in line for the series in Oakland that begins Friday night.

Kyle Gibson starts the opening game, followed by Cole Irvin and Kyle Bradish. The six-man arrangement isn't changing.

The club didn’t make a roster move today to bring in a fresh bullpen arm. The off-day on Thursday influenced its decision after Jack Flaherty worked only three innings last night and Nick Vespi threw 34 pitches in two innings.

"It's always helpful," said manager Brandon Hyde. "We're not in great shape, but if worse comes to worse, probably could throw a couple guys that I normally wouldn't throw."

Outfielder Aaron Hicks is out of the lineup again due to back soreness. He might be available off the bench.

SAN DIEGO – Aaron Hicks is out of tonight’s lineup as the Orioles attempt to win their 24^th series.

Hicks didn’t play last night after leaving Monday’s game with back soreness.

Adley Rutschman is serving as the designated hitter. Gunnar Henderson is the cleanup hitter and third baseman. Jordan Westburg is playing second base.

Austin Hays is in left field. Hays homered last night in the ninth inning but is batting .192 since the break.

Ryan Mountcastle has reached base in 22 consecutive games, the longest Orioles streak since Trey Mancini’s 23 from Sept. 5, 2019 to April 2, 2021, and the longest in a single season since Mancini reached in the last 22 games in 2019.

SAN DIEGO – Orioles reliever Jacob Webb achieved two milestones yesterday.

Webb turned 30-years-old, and he reached three years of major league service time. Both round and crooked numbers that made him smile.

“It’s a little bit more special today,” he said. “Kind of a cool little birthday present.”

Webb has been an unexpected gift for the Orioles, getting crucial outs since his arrival a week ago.

Claimed on waivers from the Angels, Webb has appeared in four games and tossed four scoreless innings with only an infield single, one walk and six strikeouts. He set a club record by striking out his first five batters.