Orioles pregame notes on McCann's hand, weekend rotation, Flaherty update, Coulombe's return and Pérez,

Backup catcher James McCann isn’t in the Orioles’ lineup despite his impressive numbers against Blue Jays starter José Berríos. He usually sits against a right-hander, but he’s also recovering from the 98 mph fastball that slammed into the side of his left hand during Tuesday night’s game.

“It’s good,” said McCann, who’s 8-for-24 with two doubles and four home runs against Berríos. “Soreness is a lot better today. Now, it’s just an open wound from the blood blister.”

McCann keeps proving his toughness. He’s gone on the injured list twice with oblique strains but has endured lots of punishment and kept playing.

He’s become a master at laying down bunts on fastballs near his face.

“I give thanks to God every day when something like that happens and I come out of it unscathed,” he said. “I guess there’s a little bit of an innate toughness, but other than that, it’s by the grace of God.”

McCann collapsed at the plate after being hit by Yimi García. The first instinct is to assume a broken bone, but McCann walked to first base and caught the ensuring innings.

“In the moment it didn’t feel great,” he said. “As the game went on the swelling started to set in, and it definitely didn’t feel great. But being that I was able to stay in the game, I figured it was just going to be bruised.”

The Orioles are starting Cole Irvin in Friday night’s series opener against the Rockies at Camden Yards. He also moves up after Jack Flaherty was scratched yesterday.

The next two games are TBA. Flaherty played catch today and might make one of the starts.

“Still kind of waiting on Jack, see how he’s feeling,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Been improving. Felt a lot better yesterday.”

Reliever Danny Coulombe was reinstated from the injured list today, with Nick Vespi optioned for a fourth time.

“Really the last couple years have been like this for him,” Hyde said of Vespi. “He’s done a really nice job when he’s been here. When you have options in the bullpen on a good club, sometimes these things happen. But I’ve been impressed with what he’s given us, which is a nice left-handed bullpen arm that’s super durable. He wants to pitch. He went multiple innings for us in Oakland, kind of saved some guys there, willing to do that. Throws strikes and gets out. So, he’s done a great job in the role he’s been in.

“It hasn’t been the easiest one, and that’s a tough shuttle to do, so I give him a lot of credit for handling it so professionally. The way he’s handled it the last couple years.”

Coulombe was shut down with left biceps tendinitis, made one appearance with Triple-A Norfolk and returned.

“I’m fully healthy," he said. "I felt great in my rehab outing and I’m just ready to contribute. Everything was normal. Pretty smooth. Thirteen pitches. It was the perfect rehab outing.”

The left side of the ‘pen got a lot stronger with Coulombe rejoining Cionel Pérez, who allowed one earned run in his last 15 appearances. Pérez has surrendered an unearned run, walked two batters and struck out 11 this month in 7 1/3 innings.

“Cionel has been massive for us, especially this past month and what he’s done,” Hyde said. “It’s been great to see, him going through some adversity early in the year and kind of pick it up at the right time. To have both of those guys going, and keep my fingers crossed that happens, but what C’s done this last month, his last 10-15 appearances, has been just absolutely fantastic. And giving us a chance to win a lot of games.”

The turnaround isn’t about improved stuff. It didn’t go away.

“It was more just, I think confidence, presence,” Hyde said. “More confident with his slider a little bit, throwing it more strike-to-ball than leaving it in the middle part of the plate. He’s been good against left-handers the majority of the year. Had a tough time against right-handers. Leaving balls kind of in the middle. But working ahead in the count, that’s the huge thing for Cionel, because it’s upper-90s left-handed, it’s super quick. Ball gets on hitters so quickly, it’s a tough at-bat, so if you can be ahead in the count and have them on the defensive, that’s when he has his success.”