The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• INF Vimael Machín has cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

SAN FRANCISCO – Orioles infielder Vimael Machín is staying in the organization.

Machín cleared outright waivers today and accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles designated Machín for assignment on Wednesday and selected Emmanuel Rivera’s contract from Norfolk.

Machín went 1-for-11 with a home run in his first major league action since 2022. He’s hitting .285/.344/.470 with 25 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 70 RBIs in 107 games with the Tides.

Reliever Matt Bowman was designated for assignment on Tuesday and reliever Roansy Contreras yesterday. The club hasn't announced the outcome of those transactions. 

The Washington Nationals selected the contract of catcher C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester and placed catcher Drew Millas on the 10-day Injured List with a fractured and dislocated left second finger (retroactive to Aug. 28) on Friday. Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo made the announcement.

Stubbs, 28, joins a Major League roster for the first time after he was taken in the 10^th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern California. In six Minor League seasons, he hit .204 with 72 doubles, seven triples, 67 home runs, 203 RBI, 199 walks and 51 stolen bases in 472 games. Defensively, Stubbs has thrown out 114 attempted base-stealers in 371 tries, holding runners to a .693 stolen base percentage.

A native of San Diego, Calif., Stubbs was originally drafted by the Houston Astros before signing with the Nationals as a Minor League free agent on May 14, 2024.

Stubbs produced an extra-base hit in each of his final two games in Rochester prior to his call-up. He homered against Toledo on Aug. 22 and doubled against the Mud Hens on August 24. He has thrown out 28 of the 76 attempted base-stealers against him this season and his .632 opponents stolen base percentage this season ranks second in the Nationals organization.

Millas, 27, hit .306 with five doubles, a triple, seven RBI, two stolen bases and four walks in 18 games for the Nationals this season.

The Nationals’ nightmare in New York is over … at least until they go back to Queens in three weeks. But for now, they get to enjoy a six-game homestand, starting with three games against the Rays to start this holiday weekend.

Mitchell Parker will take the mound for the series opener after the Nats chose not to use yesterday’s off-day to skip his spot in the rotation and give him some extra time to work on some things. The struggling lefty is 7-14 with a 6.01 ERA on the season and the Nats are winless in his five August starts as he’s pitched to a 12.00 ERA this month. He’ll need to get back on track tonight to give his team a chance and start making a case for his rotation spot next year.

Adrian Houser makes the start for the Rays. Since coming over in a trade with the White Sox at the deadline, the right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA over his four starts with Tampa Bay and he’s given up four or more runs in three of those outings. So this might be a good opportunity for the Nats' offense to get back on track.

And the Nationals made an expected roster move official this afternoon, placing Drew Millas on the injured list with a fractured and dislocated finger and selecting the contract of catcher C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly clear, 76 degrees, wind 11 mph from left to right field

When the pitching probables came out for the Nationals’ weekend series against the Rays, nothing was out of the ordinary. No new names appeared nor where there any TBAs listed:

* Friday – LHP Mitchell Parker vs. RHP Adrian Houser
* Saturday – RHP Jake Irvin vs. RHP Ryan Pepiot
* Sunday – RHP Brad Lord vs. LHP Ian Seymour

The only interesting factor was that Thursday’s off-day would have allowed the Nationals to skip Parker’s spot in the rotation and still have the other four starters make their next starts on normal rest.

Why would they have done that?

Parker has struggled the most out of the five starters currently in the Nats rotation. Some extra time in between starts may have helped the left-hander figure out some things in order to have a strong finish to the season.

Rather than subject my mailbag to another West Coast flight and jet lag, I decided to dump some of its contents back home and travel light.

Carry on.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original, which set box office records. It isn’t streaming anywhere, but I am … usually around 3 or 4 a.m.

If I did any editing, I’m keeping it to myself. No grand announcements about clarity, length, style or brevity. Sorry to cheat you out of that thrill.

Also, a reminder that my mailbag gets your mailbag in the camel clutch and won’t let go until it submits. Especially on hump day.

The American League Cy Young race is one of the two-man variety, coming down to the wire between Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Boston’s Garrett Crochet. 

The latter has been dominant in a Red Sox uniform, posting a 2.38 ERA and over 11 strikeouts per nine innings entering this afternoon’s contest against the Orioles. 

The O’s were lucky to avoid Crochet for a two-game series up in Fenway. They didn’t get so lucky in this afternoon’s series finale in OPACY. 

In a game that Crochet starts, you’re fortunate to not be trailing when he leaves. That’s where the Orioles found themselves entering the seventh inning, all knotted at two. 

But it was the Red Sox bullpen that got the best of the Orioles, blanking the birds' bats in the final three innings. The Sox were able to push one run across in the eighth, and that was all they needed. The O's fell 3-2 and were swept in this four-game series. 

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.

Reliever Shawn Dubin has reported to the Orioles after a waiver claim from the Astros earlier this week. Roansy Contreras was designated for assignment to make room for him on the active roster.

The 40-man roster has 39 players.

Tough business. Contreras tossed 4 1/3 scoreless relief innings last night in his Orioles debut and is in limbo this morning.

"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,” he said last night. “So I'm very thankful for them.”

Contreras was the 65^th player used by the Orioles this season. Dubin can become the 66^th. Tyler Wells will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list when rosters expand and can become the 67^th if someone doesn’t beat him to it.

NEW YORK – The Nationals left New York on Wednesday knowing they would need to make a roster move before Friday’s series opener against the Rays. Drew Millas departed yesterday’s 11-2 loss to the Yankees in the third inning after he was called for catcher’s interference during an Austin Wells at-bat against Cade Cavalli.

When Wells’ bat made contact with Millas’ catching hand while swinging at a 97 mph fastball from Cavalli, the backstop suffered a fracture and dislocation of his left second finger, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy. So the Nationals will call up C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester to fill in as the backup catcher, a source familiar with the upcoming move confirmed.

The Washington Post was first to report the news yesterday.

Stubbs’ first appearance with the Nats will be his major league debut after spending the last six seasons in the minor leagues following his selection by the Astros in the 10th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern California.

The younger brother of Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs, the 28-year-old backstop signed a minor league deal with the Nationals after the Astros released him in May 2024. In 24 games with Rochester this year following a promotion from Double-A Harrisburg, he is hitting .161 with a .602 OPS, three doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBIs.

The expanded roster next month also lengthens the rotation to include a sixth starter, right-hander Tyler Wells, who pitched last night for Triple-A Norfolk on his rehab assignment and allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

He’s stretched out to 90 pitches. Turn him loose.

The Orioles will ride with Wells, Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Cade Povich. They apparently won’t deviate from the plan unless there’s an injury. Extra rest for everyone.

Brandon Young didn’t want to go on an extended break, but he’ll have to settle for his 12 major league starts this season and flirting with perfection in Houston. The final count shows more lows than highs, which explains his 6.24 ERA and 1.543 WHIP, but also the valuable experience and exposure that can elevate his game in 2026.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino said Young got “a lot” out of his time with the Orioles, which was cut short by a strained left hamstring.

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 will switch to a six-man rotation after Tyler Wells is placed on the expanded roster next month.

Wells will become part of a unit that includes Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Cade Povich. The Orioles chose to start Wells rather than move him to the bullpen.

“If everybody can stay healthy, that would be great,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino.

“It’s good. It gives Dean an extra day, it gives Tomo an extra day. Nobody will pitch on regular rest the rest of the year.”

Bradish responded favorably to his first start beyond an injury rehab assignment last night since June 2024.

NEW YORK – The Nationals can’t get out of New York City fast enough. They entered this afternoon’s finale against the Yankees 0-5 in the Big Apple this year after being swept by the Mets in a three-game series at Citi Field in June and dropping the first two games of this set at Yankee Stadium.

And they will remain winless in New York until their next trip to Queens in September after an 11-2 blowout loss, their third straight to get swept by the Yankees and their fifth straight defeat overall.

Just about everything that could have gone wrong for the Nationals today did. They couldn’t manufacture runs. They couldn’t prevent the Yankees from scoring. And they suffered injuries along the way, adding salt to an already wide-open wound.

If the power differential between these two teams wasn’t on display enough earlier this week, it definitely was in this finale.

The Yankees entered today with a major league-leading 219 home runs, while the Nats only had a measly 125 for the third-fewest. New York had already hit four to score eight of their 15 runs over the first two games. Washington had scored four of their six runs on one swing, Jacob Young’s ninth-inning grand slam Monday night.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of RHP Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 66.
• Selected the contract of INF Emmanuel Rivera from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 26.
• Optioned RHP Yaramil Hiraldo to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.
• Transferred RHP Brandon Young (left hamstring strain) to the 60-day Injured List.
• Designated INF Vimael Machín for assignment.

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

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 Baltimore Orioles today announced that ROSINA LANSON will join the organization as the Chief Strategy Officer, responsible for overseeing corporate strategic planning, data and analytics, and technology to drive multifaceted problem-solving and research in support of the business operations of both the Orioles and MASN. Lanson will serve as a strategic partner to business unit leaders across various departments to drive operational efficiencies, optimize revenue, and achieve strategic plan objectives.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Rosina to our organization. Her extensive experience in sports business strategy, analytics, and operations will provide the club with key insight and guidance to support our long-term growth and impact,” shared CATIE GRIGGS, Orioles President of Business Operations.

Lanson joins the Orioles from Major League Baseball, where she launched and led the club business operations and strategy advisory function, overseeing efforts to leverage data and strategic insights to drive revenue and fan engagement across all 30 MLB clubs. Prior to joining the baseball world, Lanson spent three years at Meta, leading strategic planning and operations for their global sports team. She was responsible for setting the strategic direction for the group across both Facebook and Instagram, helping partners drive audience development and revenue goals through organic content.

Lanson previously spent time with the New York Jets, where she built and led business strategy for five years. In her time there, she oversaw several key cross-functional projects, including Jets Rewards – the team's access control, in-stadium payment, and loyalty program – and club business efforts related to the Jets 2015 International Series game in London.

“I’m honored to join such an iconic organization and be part of something so meaningful to Baltimore,” said Lanson. “I look forward to contributing my experience from across the industry, working alongside the talented team here as we continue to grow and innovate.”

NEW YORK – In order for the Nationals to escape The Bronx with at least one win, they’ll need timely hitting and shutdown pitching. It may be too much to ask for both at this point, but either one should give them a decent shot to beat the Yankees this afternoon.

Getting timely hitting might be tough against Yankees starter Max Fried. The All-Star left-hander is 13-5 with a 3.14 ERA over 26 starts in his first season in New York. And he’s coming off an outing in which he shut out the Red Sox over six innings with seven strikeouts. The longtime Brave is 8-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 19 career games (18 starts) against the Nats.

Getting shutdown pitching, on the other hand, may be a real possibility with Cade Cavalli starting on the mound. The right-hander has turned in back-to-back quality starts against the Phillies coming into today. And he has a very nice 2.82 ERA over his first four starts since returning to the majors. The key for Cavalli will be limiting the longball and slugging against this dangerous Yankees lineup.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK YANKEES
Where: Yankee Stadium
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB Network (out-of-market only), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 73 degrees, wind 11 mph out to right field

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
SS CJ Abrams
DH Riley Adams
2B Luis García Jr.
RF Dylan Crews
1B Andrés Chaparro
C Drew Millas
3B Brady House
CF Jacob Young

Kyle Bradish has stopped by the Camden Yards clubhouse in between rehab starts, but yesterday was different.

Teammates looked across the room and saw their starting pitcher.

They waited a long time for it.

Bradish made his return from elbow reconstructive surgery and struck out 10 batters in six innings. He allowed a pair of solo home runs among his four hits, and he didn’t issue a walk. The sinker was on point.

Having Bradish on the roster again is exactly what this club needs, no matter the outcome.

NEW YORK – Needing to play a much cleaner brand of baseball, the Nationals returned to Yankee Stadium trying to put last night’s disastrous loss behind them.

Although they gave themselves more opportunities to hang with the Bronx Bombers, they couldn’t come up with clutch hits to capitalize on them. And it didn’t help that their mistakes on the basepaths continued in a 5-1 loss to the Yankees.

CJ Abrams singled in the first inning to give the Nats their first baserunner early. But that was quickly erased when he was picked off by Yankees starter Luis Gil, with the original safe call being overturned by a New York challenge.

The Nats then got a one-out walk by Riley Adams in the second, but couldn’t move him past first base.

They were more successful in the third, but still left a golden opportunity to score a crooked number. Robert Hassell III led off with a double to the right-center field gap, and after a James Wood walk, he scored on Abrams' single to left to give the Nats a 1-0 lead.