The creative maneuvering that Orioles manager Brandon Hyde must execute to provide rest to players, sometimes on a rotating basis, also could be necessary late in games with personnel on the field.

Last night’s lineup left the bench without a true utility player. Tyler Nevin plays the corner infield and outfield positions. Ryan McKenna plays all three outfield spots. Robinson Chirinos is the catching alternative to Adley Rutschman.

Chris Owings didn’t hit and he was an easy target for fans on social media, which didn’t go unnoticed by some members of the organization. But he could back up everywhere on the field.

If Hyde needs to replace shortstop Jorge Mateo, he can move Ramón Urías off third base and insert Nevin. Urías is the shortstop if Mateo is rested.

Pretty simple as long as Mateo and Urías don’t slip into day-to-day status with an injury, which they’ve done this season. If that happens, the bench is going to expand again with a phone call to Triple-A Norfolk.

Going back to what I wrote yesterday, the Orioles’ draft board is down to five players they could choose with the first-overall selection.

Of course, no one is going to pass around the names, but prep infielder Termarr Johnson obviously is on it. He worked out yesterday morning, his audience including executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, manager Brandon Hyde, co-hitting coaches Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte, and head athletic trainer Brian Ebel.

Catcher Adley Rutschman walked over to the batting cage and watched part of the session.

Baseball America’s 4.0 mock draft has the Orioles selecting Oklahoma prep shortstop Jackson Holliday. Previous versions have tied the Orioles to Georgia prep outfielder Druw Jones, son of former major league outfielder Andruw Jones.

Probably safe to assume those two also are on the Orioles’ board. But they also are scouting IMG Academy outfielder Elijah Green, son of former NFL tight end Eric Green, and Cal Poly shortstop Brooks Lee is viewed as a top five talent by many evaluators.

The Orioles are going to be without reliever Joey Krehbiel for at least 15 days due to right shoulder inflammation. However, they don’t seem concerned that his absence from the bullpen will be extensive.

“Hopefully, it’s just a couple weeks and give him time to rest it and work in the training room with Brian (Ebel) and the guys, and it won’t be too long,” manager Brandon Hyde said today.

Left-hander Nick Vespi returns to the Orioles with his 0.00 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings with Triple-A Norfolk. His major league debut consisted of two scoreless innings before the Orioles optioned him.

“He’s had an incredible year in Norfolk,” Hyde said. “It was just one of those situations where we needed to send him out last time out just from a numbers standpoint and what we needed in the bullpen the next day, unfortunately, because he threw the ball so well for us. So, we’re happy to have him back.

“With the new rules this year, it’s unfortunate that you have to wait a little longer to bring guys back, unless there’s an injury, but also, as you start getting more talented in your upper levels, start getting more talented in the big leagues, you start having to make tougher decisions. But as well is having talented guys in Triple-A to call up, so we’re excited to bring him back up as a bullpen option for us. He’s going to be live for us tonight.”

The Orioles announced the reported roster move this afternoon, with reliever Joey Krehbiel going on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation and left-hander Nick Vespi being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.

But there were others.

Tyler Nevin was recalled from Norfolk and infielder Chris Owings went on the bereavement list. Nevin is starting at third base tonight.

Infielder Jahmai Jones was placed on unconditional release waivers. Jones underwent Tommy John surgery last week.

Adley Rutschman is catching Bruce Zimmermann tonight. Ramón Urías is on the bench.

The Orioles are recalling left-hander Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk, an industry source confirmed. Vespi likely is coming back to replace reliever Joey Krehbiel, who exited last night’s game against the Mariners with right shoulder discomfort.

Krehbiel was scheduled to undergo tests on his shoulder today and appears headed to the 15-day injured list.

Vespi retired all three batters he faced last night and got two strikeouts. He threw 11 pitches, keeping him ready for tonight, and maintained a 0.00 ERA in 18 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 26 batters.

Vespi made his major league debut, and his only appearance, on May 20 against the Rays and tossed two scoreless innings.

Krehbiel faced two batters last night, his fastball velocity in steep decline, and exited the game after a two-run single and walk.

Adley Rutschman’s first day in the major leagues did not lead to an Orioles win. They lost 6-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays to fall to 2-4 on this homestand and 16-25 on the season.

But one game is not as important as what Rutschman's arrival represents. The rebuild no longer is inching forward but taking a big leap. With more prospects and more such leaps still to come. Between the Orioles and the top of the American League East is a big gap. But the hope across Birdland is that that gap is starting to close, and yesterday was the latest and maybe greatest step forward.

“Somebody that Mike (Elias) took 1/1 and we have high hopes for,” manager Brandon Hyde said before Rutschman’s Saturday night debut. “So much pressure put on him and there is so much anticipation that I want him to relax and play the game like he did in high school. I understand that is not realistic, but I want him to enjoy today with all the hoopla that is going into it. It’s a day he’ll never forget.

“I think the fans are going to embrace how he plays, how hard he plays. His personality. What kind of guy he is and he’s going to be a good player. Whether that is going to showcase tonight or this week, who knows? But he’s going to be a good player for a long time.”

And hopefully this arrival – the first of a few for top Baltimore prospects this year – means the organization will now be more consistently trending up. It may not be a straight line headed for the top, but the Orioles hope they are moving in the right direction now.

Follow the Orioles long enough and you can begin to compile a list of players who made brief stops, got their major league debuts out of the way and returned to the minors. Some came back later, others disappeared as if walking into a heavy fog or an Iowa cornfield.

There’s more than a kernel of truth to it.

If there must be some shuffling on the pitching staff, the club would prefer to do it based only on the need for fresher arms after a long game, homestand or road trip, not an epic failure. The conversations in the manager’s office are a little easier when they begin with, “It isn’t you, it’s me.”

As a team, you know that you’re trending in a good direction.

But there’s also the other side of it. Shaking hands for a job well done and arranging for travel papers.

Adley Rutschman makes his major league debut tonight as the Orioles’ No. 6 hitter in a lineup that looks a lot different with him in it.

Rutschman’s contract was selected from Triple-A Norfolk this morning. The Orioles designated catcher Anthony Bemboom for assignment.

Rutschman will be catching Kyle Bradish, the No. 10 prospect in the system per MLBPipeline.com. Bradish, who’s a year older than Rutschman, has posted a 5.06 ERA and 1.359 WHIP in four major league starts.

Bradish has struck out 22 batters in 21 1/3 innings.

Ryan Mountcastle was activated from the injured list, as expected. A big day in Baltimore.

While the Orioles were beginning their home series tonight against the Rays, catcher Adley Rutschman sat on the visiting bench at Truist Field in Charlotte. The Triple-A Norfolk lineup card listed him among the reserves. He stood in front of the dugout for the anthem.

Any reported sightings at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport were done in jest.

The debut remains on hold, leaving fans to press for answers, some more aggressively than others, and a team to worry only about its opponent and life inside an unforgiving division.

The Yankees carried baseball’s best record out of Camden Yards, and the Rays walked in after beating the Orioles 18 times in 19 games last season and sweeping them this year in the opening series.

They won 15 in a row against the Orioles, their longest streak against any opponent in franchise history, and their last loss in Baltimore came in 2020.

Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins is available to play today, but he’s beginning the game on the bench.

His health is fine.

“Just giving him a little breather,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Long stretch.”

The next day off is a week from today.

Ryan Mountcastle hit in the cage today and did some throwing, and he’s going to take batting practice on the field prior on Friday’s game against the Rays.

A long road finally ended for left-handed reliever Nick Vespi today. Now that he got on the road, he will try to stay on it.

But it’s a great day in the life of this eighth-year Oriole.

The Orioles selected Vespi in the 18th round of the 2015 draft and he saw all the stops on the O’s farm along the way over 149 games. Two years in short-season ball and three years at low Single-A Delmarva. Just when he was ready to make a move up, the season was cancelled in 2020. But after pitching to an ERA of 4.19 between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021, Vespi really elevated his game this year with an ERA of 0.00 for Norfolk over 12 games.

Now he is finally in the major leagues.

The club selected his contract today from the Tides and he will wear No. 79. In a corresponding move, lefty Logan Allen was designated for assignment.

The Orioles selected the contract of left-hander Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk this afternoon and designated lefty Logan Allen for assignment.

Vespi, who’s wearing No. 79, brings a 0.00 ERA to Camden Yards while waiting to make his major league debut. The 18^th round draft pick in 2015 was charged with three unearned runs and six hits in 14 1/3 innings, with three walks and 21 strikeouts.

Allen was claimed off waivers from the Guardians on May 5 and made three appearances, allowing two runs and three hits with two walks in 1 2/3 innings.

Today’s moves are the latest to impact the bullpen. Paul Fry was designated for assignment on Saturday. Denyi Reyes has his contract selected on Thursday, made his major league debut with two scoreless innings in Detroit and was optioned.

Meanwhile, the Orioles resume their four-game series with the Yankees tonight. Neither team has posted its lineup.

The competition is playful but also motivating. Who’s the first to surrender an earned run? Who blinks first?

And eventually, who is the first to join the Orioles bullpen for his major league debut.

Nick Vespi, an 18th-round pick in the 2015 draft, made his 10th appearance with Triple-A Norfolk last night and has allowed three unearned runs and six hits in 11 2/3 innings. He's walked two batters and struck out 17, the numbers that jump highest from his stat sheet.

Cole Uvila, chosen from the Rangers organization in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft, allowed his first unearned run Thursday night with the automatic runner scoring in the 10th inning. He’s permitted only four hits and struck out 14 batters over 12 innings, but also issued seven walks.

“When it comes to the preparation, they’re both as good as it gets,” said Norfolk pitching coach Justin Ramsey. “They come in with a plan every day and they’re always looking through the notes, the scouting reports. They know where we’re trying to go with the guys. They take pride in knowing how they want to attack them. And obviously, the stuff has played very well.”

Jorge López just wants the ball. Starter or reliever. But he seems to prefer coming out of the bullpen, his smile offering proof before his words when asked about it.

López was dominant again last night with two scoreless and hitless innings in a 2-1 win over the Red Sox. He retired the side in order in the ninth and stranded automatic runner Jaylin Davis in the 10^th while tackling the top of the potent Red Sox lineup – beginning with a strikeout of Trevor Story.

“He’s still himself, but he’s just a different animal out there this year,” said starter Spenser Watkins, the first of seven pitchers used.

“It’s really, really fun to watch him go after hitters and just do what he does best. He’s been great.”

How much enjoyment is López finding in 2022?