SAN DIEGO – The Orioles maintained their streak of being active in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft, selecting right-hander Andrew Politi from the Red Sox organization.

Politi, 26, was a 15^th-round draft pick in 2018 out of Seton Hall. He made 50 appearances this year between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, including two starts, and registered a 2.34 ERA and 0.966 WHIP with eight saves. He struck out 83 batters in 69 1/3 innings.

In four minor league seasons, Politi has posted a 4.14 ERA and 1.250 WHIP with 16 saves in 125 games. He’s averaged 7.4 hits, 3.8 walks, 11.1 strikeouts and 0.8 home runs per nine innings.

Politi struck out 132 batters in 94 2/3 innings at Seton Hall. Baseball America ranked him as Boston’s No. 23 prospect in 2020 and No. 30 last year.

Baseball America’s 5.0 Rule 5 preview included the following about Politi:

The Orioles resume their homestand tonight with Gunnar Henderson starting at shortstop against the Red Sox, Austin Hays batting eighth and playing left field, and Kyle Stowers batting ninth and starting in right.

Ramón Urías is the third baseman and batting sixth behind Henderson.

Jorge Mateo is on the bench.

Catcher Adley Rutschman is 10-for-24 during a six-game hitting streak, with three doubles, two home runs, six RBIs, three walks and five runs scored. His 29 doubles this year lead major league rookies and are tied for second-most among Orioles catchers in club history with Matt Wieters in 2013 and Ramón Hernández in 2006.

His 29 doubles also are tied with Hall of Famers Eddie Murray (1977) and Cal Ripken Jr. (1982) for most by an Orioles rookie in franchise history.

The Orioles are ready to unleash another prospect on major league opponents.

Terrin Vavra, acquired from the Rockies as part of the 2020 Mychal Givens trade, has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll be on the bench tonight with the Rays starting left-hander Shane McClanahan.

Vavra is batting .324/.435/.451 with 14 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 28 walks and 36 strikeouts in 45 games with Norfolk. He missed five weeks with a strained right hamstring.

For the month of July, Vavra is slashing .296/.441/.444 with 16 hits in 54 at-bats. He was 17-for-52 (.327) in April and 2-for-4 in May before the injury.

“He’s been swinging the ball well all year in Norfolk,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “He played a few positions. And we’re so right-handed that adding a left-handed bat is nice for us. And good to see a young guy playing well in Triple-A get rewarded with getting called up to the big leagues.”

The Orioles placed infielder Jonathan Araúz on the 10-day injured list with a right digit avulsion fracture, sustained last night while diving into second base, and recalled infielder Terrin Vavra from Triple-A Norfolk.

Vavra isn’t in tonight’s lineup. He’ll wait to make his major league debut as the No. 12 prospect in the system per MLBPipeline.com.

Having Vavra on the roster gives the Orioles a needed left-handed bat. He can play second base and the outfield.

The Orioles signed infielder Max Wagner, their second-round draft pick out of Clemson University and the 42^nd overall.

Wagner’s deal is for $1.9 million, according to an industry source. The slot value was $1,861,900.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has made some changes to tonight’s lineup, opening a four-game home series against the Rays with Jonathan Araúz at shortstop and Trey Mancini and Jorge Mateo on the bench.

Araúz is 4-for-24 with the Orioles and hasn’t played since July 8. His last start was July 7.

Mancini is 0-for-20 with nine strikeouts in his last five games. He’s hitless in his last 22 at-bats.

Mateo has been playing every day and is due for a breather.

Adley Rutschman has moved back up to second in the order. Anthony Santander is batting fourth as the designated hitter, with Ryan McKenna in right field.

To keep rookie Adley Rutschman in the Orioles’ lineup this afternoon as the designated hitter, manager Brandon Hyde had to sit one of his starters. He chose outfielder Anthony Santander, who moved to the bench for the series finale against the Yankees.

Santander leads the club with 16 home runs. He has five multi-hit games in his last 14. But someone had to step aside.

“It’s just a day off,” Hyde said, clarifying that an injury isn’t in the equation.

“It’s the summer and day game after a night game, we’re going to rotate guys as much as we possibly can and try to keep guys fresh as we can the last couple months.”

Reliever Rico Garcia has warmed during the past two games without leaving the bullpen. He also warmed at Tropicana Field before the break. But his last appearance was July 10.

Today feels like an actual break in the 2022 baseball season.

The MLB Draft is over, the All-Star Game was played last night and there’s only Trey Mancini’s inevitable – I’m calling it, anyway – ESPY tonight for Best Comeback Athlete.

WNBA player Diamond DeShields, the daughter of former Orioles infielder Delino DeShields, had a tumor removed from her spine in December 2019 that threatened to leave her paralyzed, and she later suffered tremors and spasms that led to months of rehabilitation. She didn’t share her ordeal until two months ago. In any other year, I’d say she was the runaway favorite.

The Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson has returned from a torn ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals and torn Achilles leading into the 2020-21 season. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during his rookie season and played in this year’s Super Bowl.

Impressive comebacks, but I can’t place them ahead of Mancini’s colon cancer and DeShields’ spinal tumor. Fear of death or paralysis is hard to beat, as it were.

MINNEAPOLIS – Trey Mancini is out of the Orioles’ lineup tonight for the second time in three games, as they visit the Twins on the final stop of their three-city road trip.

Mancini, who has an eight-game hitting streak, didn’t play Tuesday and the Orioles were off yesterday. He went 1-for-5 with a double on Wednesday.

Anthony Santander is the designated hitter tonight, with Ryan McKenna in left field and Austin Hays in right. Adley Rutschman is batting fifth.

Jonathan Araúz gets another start at third base.

Spenser Watkins has a 5.14 ERA and 1.629 WHIP in nine starts, but he allowed only an unearned run in five innings in Chicago. He faced the Twins on May 5 at Camden Yards and surrendered three runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings. Byron Buxton homered.

CHICAGO - Jonathan Araúz had a special day for the Orioles in the final game of the series against the White Sox, his first hit with the club a home run.

Special for sure, but not as unique as you might think.

STATS research finds that 38 players since 1974 have homered for their first hit with the Orioles, the most recent before yesterday being outfielder Keon Broxton in 2019 in Colorado.

Broxton’s ball carried 474 feet and landed on the left field concourse. Must be the thin air.

Araúz settled for a mere 390, with a 100.2 mph exit velocity.

CHICAGO – Dylan Cease struck out five of the first six Orioles this afternoon, plate umpire Junior Valentine giving Cease a call on a low fastball that angered Adley Rutschman and signaling that it could be a long day.

Gilman-product Gavin Floyd hit a two-run homer in the second, the first deficit for the Orioles since Tuesday.

The four-game winning streak came apart, with the Orioles settling for a series win and hoping to transport the lingering good vibes to Seattle. But they sure made it interesting.

Cease struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven innings, and the Orioles lost for the first time in five games, 4-3, at Guaranteed Rate Field. They're 34-40 as they continue their three-city road trip.

First baseman José Abreu committed back-to-back errors in the ninth and Jorge Mateo drew a four-pitch walk to give the Orioles three cracks at tying the game or taking the lead against Kendall Graveman. Jonathan Araúz singled to reduce the lead to 4-2, pinch-hitter Rougned Odor struck out, Cedric Mullins flied to deep center for a sacrifice fly and Trey Mancini struck out.

CHICAGO – Some of the Orioles are playing catch on the field in a light rain. They’ll have to wait for first pitch, however.

Both teams have been informed that today’s game will begin in a delay, with the start time closer to 2 p.m. local time.

Jonathan Araúz is starting at second base today in his Orioles debut. He was a waiver claim from the Red Sox and had to stay in the minors a minimum of 10 days after being optioned.

The infield needed more versatility with Rougned Odor receiving treatment for back soreness and Ramón Urías on the injured list with a left oblique strain.

“It’s a guy that can play multiple positions,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We’re a little banged up here with Roogie, Ramón’s still out. So, a guy that can play three spots in the infield, another left-handed bat, which we don’t have many of. It’s just a versatile guy that we’ll take a look at.”

CHICAGO – Spenser Watkins is back in the rotation and reliever Marcos Diplán is optioned without pitching yesterday.

The Orioles also recalled infielder Jonathan Araúz from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned infielder Rylan Bannon, who didn’t appear in a game in his second stint with the team.

Watkins has been recalled as Kyle Bradish’s replacement. Bradish went on the 15-day injured list yesterday with right shoulder inflammation.

The Orioles simply had to activate Watkins from the taxi squad.

Watkins hasn’t started for the Orioles since failing to retire any of three Tampa Bay batters on May 22 and leaving with a bruised right elbow – the product of a line drive from Ji-Man Choi.

LAS VEGAS - The Orioles have the No. 1 pick in the Rule 5 draft, which is the last event of the Winter Meetings. It takes place 9 a.m. Pacific time on Thursday at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. Baseball America executive editor J.J. Cooper is as knowledgeable of that draft as anyone and has written on it and studied it for years. Here is his latest story previewing this year's draft. The Houston connection with the Orioles' Mike Elias and Sig Mejdal could come into play on...