SEATTLE – The Orioles are making their latest attempt to get healthy. This time, it involves Colton Cowser.

Cowser is in center field tonight for the first game against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. He was reinstated from the injured list yesterday, leaving the Orioles with 11 players on the shelf.

Cowser hasn’t played for the Orioles since fracturing his left thumb on March 30 in Toronto. He completed a rehab assignment that consisted of three games with High-A Aberdeen and three with Triple-A Norfolk.

“Feeling good,” he said. “It was one of those things where, had to get some ABs and was able to do so. Was fighting the weather a little bit a couple of those days, but feeling good.”

Cowser went 6-for-11 with four doubles at Norfolk, but he wasn’t using statistics to measure his readiness.

Ryan Mountcastle received an MRI this morning on his injured right hamstring and the Orioles are waiting for the results before offering an update and measuring their level of encouragement that his absence will be brief.

Mountcastle stole home last night in the sixth inning and was removed in the eighth.

“Don’t know the severity just yet,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “Hopeful is probably the better word. Just hopeful that it’s not too bad, but we’ll probably find out more later today or tomorrow.”

Mansolino isn’t sure how Mountcastle sustained the injury, but the double steal seemed to be a part of it.

“I just saw him in the hallway, we were meeting on something earlier, so I haven’t asked him,” Mansolino said. “He might have told somebody last night that he was maybe getting up from the slide. He might have felt something. So it’s just unsure.”

The unpredictable nature of the Orioles is still setting traps.

Adley Rutschman avoided the seven-day concussion list, serving as designated hitter Wednesday and starting behind the plate yesterday. The Orioles usually don’t carry three catchers until rosters expand in September, and the next decision appeared to come down to whether they'd designate Chadwick Tromp for assignment or option Maverick Handley. One of them would step aside for the next reinstatement - whether Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg or Ramón Laureano.

Cowser singled and walked twice last night at Triple-A Norfolk, and Westburg had a single and double.

Cedric Mullins wasn’t supposed to go on the injured list. Cooper Hummel wasn’t supposed to keep his locker in the home clubhouse. He hadn’t used it until yesterday because the Orioles signed him Sunday while in Boston and designated him for assignment the following day.

News of Hummel's return led to assumptions about the backup catchers, but they proved to be nothing more than a Tromp trap. A Handley hazard. 

Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish is halfway through his bullpen progression and fully expecting to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list by August.

Bradish threw a 35-pitch side session on Monday, used everything in his arsenal and reported that he’s “feeling really good.”

The Orioles want Bradish to begin throwing live batting practice at the beginning of July, followed by an injury rehab assignment in the minors. He hasn’t pitched for them since undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in June 2024.

Bradish made eight starts last season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow in January, posting a 2.75 ERA and 1.068 WHIP in 39 1/3 innings. He shut out the Rays on one hit over six innings in his penultimate start and allowed two runs in five innings against the Phillies before the Orioles shut him down.

Standing at his locker this afternoon, Bradish explained why he’s confident in his chances of getting back into the rotation after the break.

BOSTON – With rain in the forecast throughout the day and night, the Orioles must endure their fourth postponement of the 2025 season.

Makes it harder to carry the momentum from yesterday’s 11-inning win in Milwaukee.

The Orioles and Red Sox will play a split doubleheader on Friday, with Game 1 at 1:35 p.m. and Game 2 at 7:10 p.m.

Both teams get a 27th man.

The Orioles already made up two of their first three postponed games, being swept in a doubleheader in Detroit and at home against the Twins. They have a day-night doubleheader against the Blue Jays on July 29 at Camden Yards.

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill is back on the injured list, this time with a left shoulder impingement.

The Orioles recalled outfielder Dylan Carlson to replace O’Neill, who was out previously with inflammation in his neck.

O’Neill is batting .188/.280/.325 with three doubles, a triple and two home runs in 24 games. He hasn’t played since Thursday and was scratched from Friday’s lineup.

This is O'Neill's 16th career trip to the IL.

Carlson is recalled for the third time, the last two for O’Neill. He was on the taxi squad this weekend. He’s 0-for-15 with eight strikeouts.

Tyler O’Neill was a lineup scratch again today. Recovered from the inflammation in his neck, O’Neill was sent to the bench for the series opener against the Nationals due to left shoulder discomfort.

Ryan O’Hearn is replacing O’Neill in right field and batting fifth against Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore.

Manager Brandon Hyde said O’Neill noticed the discomfort a few days ago while hitting in the cage. He played right field yesterday.

“I guess this morning he woke up feeling pretty sore,” Hyde said. “Day-to-day.”

O’Neill is batting .188/.280/.325 in 24 games.

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill was reinstated from the injured list yesterday and Zach Eflin should follow on Sunday to start the final game of the road trip. Reliever Andrew Kittredge made his second rehab appearance on Thursday. Infielder Ramón Urías is trending toward a return perhaps by Tuesday or Wednesday after the latest break in the schedule.

Unable to get on a roll that moves them out of last place, the Orioles are implementing a new tactic this month - subtracting from the IL instead of adding to it.

Can’t hurt to try it.

Fifteen different Orioles have gone on the IL this season, only two fewer than in 2024. That’s the most in the American League and second in the majors to the Dodgers’ 17.

The White Sox and Reds have 15 different players, and the Marlins and Mets have 14.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Zach Eflin’s return to the big league mound has been grabbing most headlines. For a rotation in search of stability, the veteran right-hander provides just that. 

The rotation, however, hasn’t been the main culprit of the Orioles’ recent woes. That has been Baltimore’s lineup, which has plated more than three runs in just one of their past six games. 

A healthy Tyler O’Neill, and his career OPS just shy of .800, could be the shot in the arm that Baltimore needs. 

The outfielder, activated to the active roster today after missing time with a neck injury, wasn't hitting like himself to begin the 2025 season. O’Neill hit just .215 with a .385 slugging percentage and .668 OPS, all some of the worst numbers of his career. 

That neck injury, as it turns out, had been an issue for O’Neill throughout much of the season and had a big impact on what he was able to do at the plate. 

Outfielder Tyler O’Neill has returned to the Orioles after two games with Triple-A Norfolk on his injury rehab assignment.

O’Neill was reinstated from the IL this afternoon, but the corresponding move didn’t involve another outfielder. The Orioles optioned corner infielder Coby Mayo to Norfolk after yesterday’s game in Minnesota.

The transactions was made official today after O’Neill went 2-for-6 with the Tides. He hasn’t played for the Orioles since April 23 in D.C. because of neck inflammation and is batting .215/.284/.385 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 18 games.

Mayo was recalled on May 3 with infielder Ramón Urías going on the IL due to a right hamstring strain. He singled yesterday but went 1-for-12 with six strikeouts during his most recent stretch with the Orioles, and he’s 5-for-53 with five walks and 28 strikeouts in the majors.

Mayo did some early infield drills yesterday at third base, fielding ground balls and working on the accuracy of his throws to first. He will keep getting starts at the corners with Norfolk, where he slashed .255/.353/.539 with seven doubles, two triples, six home runs and 21 RBIs in 28 games.

MINNEAPOLIS – Zach Eflin accompanied the Orioles to Minneapolis and will throw a bullpen session tomorrow afternoon at Target Field as a follow-up to Sunday’s rehab start with High-A Aberdeen.

Eflin will make his return this weekend against the Angels in Anaheim. He’d be on normal rest Friday night if that’s the chosen date.

“I’m feeling great, obviously, here traveling with the team,” he said. “As close as I can be to being ready and kind of just waiting to get back out there.”

Eflin made three starts with the Orioles, completing six innings in each appearance and posting a 3.00 ERA. He went on the injured list with a right lat strain after holding the Diamondbacks to one run on April 7 in Arizona, vowing to make it a short stay and doing everything possible to get back quickly.

“I’d like to say so, but at the same time I have to listen to the training staff,” he said. “It’s an amazing training staff and if it was my way, I would have liked maybe a day or two extra and then not even go on the IL, but I understand there was something there in my lat and I had to listen to the trainers, I had to listen to my body. Nothing that you ever want to do, go on the IL. You just don’t feel like you’re a part of the team. You want to be out there kind of in the trenches with the guys every day, so it’s hard to kind of have that reality, but at the end of the day, I think it’s what my body needed to be able to go out and make every start for the rest of the season and the playoffs.

April wasn’t the Orioles’ month. 

After entering the season with lofty expectations, Baltimore has fallen flat to kick off the new campaign. The Birds won just 9 of their 25 contests in April, bringing more showers than flowers. Maybe that’s what May is for. 

The O’s went 17-9 in May of 2024, and they would love a repeat performance in 2025 to turn their season around. 

Here, let’s break down five factors that could propel them in the right direction. 

Zach Eflin 

Orioles executive vice president Mike Elias spent about 15 minutes in the dugout today talking about the state of his 12-18 team and why he thinks it can get back to playoff form and meet the high expectations carried into the season.

He blames injuries and inconsistencies among players. And he continues to take responsibility for the record based on his role in the front office.

“It’s been really disappointing for all of us in the organization,” he said. “It’s been very difficult and we have not performed to expectations, so we all feel that. I feel that. I look at the team, look at things, and with the offense, the position player group, I think we’ve had obviously a lot of health issues. We’ve had some guys individually with just literally tough luck on the balls that they’re hitting. And then we’ve got a lot of players and guys with long major league track records who just aren’t performing to their norms. So all those being the case, I’m really optimistic and we’re optimistic that we’re gonna work out of that and things are gonna get better.

“With the starting rotation, having injuries and also starting so poorly and putting us in a bad spot because of that, it is difficult to contend with that level of injuries. But even that aside, they’ve had a poor start and that’s my responsibility and I’m in charge of baseball operations and when we have a bad record to start the year, that’s my responsibility. But we are all working very hard and we have a lot of faith in this very talented group, and piece by piece, step by step, we’re gonna get guys healthier, we’re gonna get guys performing more to their norms.

“If there’s something we can fix with a player, we’re working on that. And I’m very optimistic and confident that we have a lot better baseball ahead and we’re gonna play like the way that we should be this season.”

DETROIT – Tyler O’Neill tried to play through the neck soreness and had to succumb.

The Orioles put O’Neill on the 10-day injured list yesterday. He’s hoping to be back when eligible to return.

“That’s obviously the goal,” he said last night. “Just, unfortunately, dealing with some pain and immobility for the better part of a week. It’s just better to get it dealt with now and not have it lingering around over the course of the season.

“Hopefully, we can knock it out and be back out there as soon as possible.”

The issue began on the last homestand, leading to O’Neill’s 15^th career trip to the injured list but the first involving his neck.

DETROIT – The Orioles couldn’t wait any longer on Tyler O’Neill.

Prior to today’s doubleheader, the Orioles placed O’Neill on the 10-day injured list with inflammation in his neck and recalled outfielder Dylan Carlson from Triple-A Norfolk.

The move is backdated to Thursday and O’Neill is eligible to be reinstated on May 4.

“He’s been dealing with that probably since last week,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“When he’s able to come off the IL, we’re expecting him to not miss any more time.”

Tyler O’Neill is out of the Orioles’ Game 1 lineup today as he continues to receive treatment for neck discomfort.

Outfielder Dylan Carlson is on the taxi squad. He didn’t play yesterday in Triple-A Norfolk’s doubleheader.

Reliever Colin Selby also is on the taxi squad. The Orioles won’t announce their 27^th man until the conclusion of Game 1.

Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle also are on the bench. Jordan Westburg remains the designated hitter. Heston Kjerstad is in left field and Rámon Laureano is in right.

Jackson Holliday is the second baseman.

The Orioles have moved on to Detroit, relieved to snap a three-game losing streak and to avoid being swept by the Nationals.

They lost two of three games to the Tigers at Comerica Park last season and two of three at Camden Yards. Their last three-game sweep in Detroit happened in 2004.

They’d settle for a series win, their second in 2025.

The season is 24 games old for the Orioles and they are counting on track records and improved health until perhaps able to make some moves closer to the deadline.

This also would help:

WASHINGTON – Roughly 10 percent of the population is left-handed, according to Norgen Biotek. Lefties, though, make up a much larger percentage of pitchers in Major League Baseball. And in 2025, the Orioles have faced a left-handed starter in over 30 percent of their first 23 games.

Tonight, the Birds face another, as the Nationals roll out one of the best young lefties in the game, MacKenzie Gore.

In the seven games that the O’s have faced a lefty starter to begin 2025, Baltimore is just 1-6.

Gore, the former elite prospect, ranks in the 70th percentile or better in expected ERA, expected batting average, fastball velocity, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage and walk percentage this season.

In fact, he is in the 93rd percentile in whiff rate and leads Major League Baseball with 14 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Orioles are in D.C. again tonight, trying to avoid being swept by the Nationals before flying to Detroit.

The losing streak has reached three games and the record has fallen to 9-14. The Orioles haven’t been six games below .500 since July 5, 2022.

Left-hander Cade Povich is making his fifth start. He’s posted a 6.38 ERA and 2.073 WHIP in 18 1/3 innings.

The last outing was his worst, with the Reds totaling seven runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked five batters and surrendered three home runs.

Povich hasn’t faced the Nationals. Nathaniel Lowe has two at-bats against him and is 1-for-2 with a double.

WASHINGTON – The Orioles' offense had plenty of opportunities to cash in for a breakout inning in tonight’s 4-3 loss to the Nationals. Instead, they made smaller deposits. 

For the most part, pitching held up its end of the bargain. Sometimes, you can still win baseball games like that, even when you go 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position. In this case, the offense came up just short. 

“I’m really happy with how we played,” said Brandon Hyde after the game. “We play baseball like that, we’re going to win a lot of games.”

The Orioles' offense started the contest with three straight batted balls hit over 100 mph off the bats of Cedric Mullins, Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. Only one, a single from Rutschman, resulted in a hit. Despite the loud contact, Baltimore left the top of the first without a run. That would be a theme. 

“We hit a lot of balls hard that we weren’t rewarded for,” Hyde noted. “I thought we took really good at-bats for the most part.”