Orioles trading Milone to Braves (updated)

The Orioles will need a starter for Monday's series finale against the Blue Jays.

Left-hander Tommy Milone is headed to the Braves for two players to be named later. An industry source has confirmed multiple reports of the deal.

The trade deadline is 4 p.m. Monday and Milone became an attractive chip with a 3.99 ERA, only 1.2 walks per nine innings and a career-high 9.5 strikeouts.

Milone, 33, agreed to a minor league deal in spring training, made the club and rotation and provided two quality starts among six outings in a rotation that's been unable to work deep into games.

John Means' trip to the injured list to start the season enabled Milone to make his first career opening day start. More evidence that the 2020 season was going to be unprecedented.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has swung another deal that allows him to choose players from outside a team's 60-man player pool. He used the same maneuver when sending pitcher Hector Velázquez to the Astros and reliever Richard Bleier to the Marlins.

Milone is bringing a more sizeable return.

Jorge López is starting today for the Orioles, who pushed back Milone to Monday afternoon.

Perhaps the growing possibility of a trade led manager Brandon Hyde to adjust his starters. Otherwise, Milone would have been working on normal rest today.

Thomas Eshelman is available to replace Milone in the rotation. The Orioles could recall left-hander Keegan Akin from the alternate camp site in Bowie as a corresponding roster move.

Hyde expressed his hesitancy last week to insert Akin in the rotation by saying he was in "win-now" mode, but the Orioles have lost 10 of their last 12 games and are four below .500.

"For us right now, Keegan fits in our bullpen the best," Hyde said Wednesday in his Zoom conference call with the media.

"I might not even use him as a long guy. I might use him as a one-inning guy here, too. But I think that long-term, is he a rotation piece? Is he a long guy? I think that's something we will find out. But at this moment right now I'm going to try to win games and utilize Keegan the best way we can."

Milone is the first deadline domino to fall, but there could be others.

Alex Cobb started last night and is a possibility to be moved if the sides can make the money work. He's owed $15 million next year.

Relievers Mychal Givens and Miguel Castro and infielder Hanser Alberto also are viewed as chips for a team that's seeking ways to infuse talent into the system and aid the rebuild process.

Shortstop José Iglesias had two more hits last night and is batting .406/.418/.563 with 10 doubles in 18 games. But he's been slowed by a sore quadriceps muscle that forced him on the injured list and could impact his value.

The Orioles hold an option on Iglesias' contract and could check on possible suitors over the winter or at next year's deadline.

The club hasn't announced the Milone trade, but official word will come later this morning.

Update: The Orioles announced the trade, which lowers their 40-man roster to 39.

Still no word on the corresponding roster move. Reliever Hunter Harvey could be activated from the injured list.