More thoughts on September roster expansion

More thoughts on September roster expansion
The Orioles can happily push aside August, giving it a hard shove after losing 24 of 28 games, and get down to September business. There's always something to keep them active and it's usually about the roster. The difference now is they can expand it rather than just plugging holes. With the team in Canada and transporting a taxi squad, the logical moves today would be to recall left-hander Alexander Wells and right-hander Dusten Knight since they're already in the visiting clubhouse at...

Orioles lineup, Hyde on bench and Fry, Burdi on new team

Orioles lineup, Hyde on bench and Fry, Burdi on new team
Center fielder Cedric Mullins is out of tonight's Orioles lineup for the opener of a three-game series in Toronto. Manager Brandon Hyde is resting him. There isn't an injury situation. Ryan McKenna, recalled this afternoon, is playing center and batting seventh. Austin Hays is leading off and playing left field. Jahmai Jones also is counted among the four reserves. Jorge Mateo is the second baseman tonight, with Ramón Urías at shortstop. Ryan Mountcastle is batting second again. A...

Orioles recall Burdi and McKenna

Orioles recall Burdi and McKenna
The Orioles are carrying a four-man bench in Toronto today after recalling reliever Zack Burdi and outfielder Ryan McKenna from Triple-A Norfolk. Spots were opened yesterday with the Orioles optioning pitchers Paul Fry and Spenser Watkins. Burdi, a former first-round pick out of the University of Louisville, was selected off waivers from the White Sox on Aug. 18. He has an 8.27 ERA and 1.898 WHIP in 14 major league relief appearances covering 16 1/3 innings, but he averages 12.7 strikeouts per...

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers and game notes

Orioles lineup vs. Tigers and game notes
Can the Orioles produce another ninth inning win? If so, it's going to happen in Detroit, where they begin a four-game series against the Tigers. Austin Hays is in right field tonight with Ryan McKenna in left. DJ Stewart is batting fourth as the designated hitter. Trey Mancini is playing first base and Ryan Mountcastle is on the bench. Domingo Leyba gets another start at second base and Austin Wynns is catching. McKenna's bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning last night was the club's first...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Orioles have gone back to a nine-man bullpen, removing a bench option for manager Brandon Hyde but also giving him an extra reliever. Some nights it's the ideal alignment, others it's a handicap. Anyone knowing in advance how it's going to play out should contact the team. There could be a job opportunity. Longer outings from the rotation could reduce the need for a ninth reliever. The last four starters completed five innings prior to last night, a first in 2021. And fewer weak links in...

López expected to start Saturday night (and other notes)

López expected to start Saturday night (and other notes)
The Orioles are going with a 25-man roster for tonight's game against the Royals in Kansas City. They've decided to leave a spot open for starter Jorge López's anticipated return Saturday from the bereavement list. López would make the start later that night. The three-man taxi squad consists of pitchers Alexander Wells and Conner Greene and catcher Nick Ciuffo, so the Orioles have coverage for López if he's unavailable. "We're hoping that Lopie will be back tomorrow, and if...

How could Orioles' catching changes impact 2022?

How could Orioles' catching changes impact 2022?
Yesterday's news that Chance Sisco had been designated for assignment provided the latest jolt to the catching position at Triple-A Norfolk and naturally led to questions regarding Adley Rutschman. They moves aren't related. But isn't it fun to wonder? Rutschman has played 38 games beyond the low Single-A level and figures to stick around Double-A Bowie for at least a little while longer, no matter how good he looks and how excited fans are to watch him progress through the system. The...

Orioles DFA Chance Sisco (updated)

Orioles DFA Chance Sisco (updated)
The Orioles have designated catcher Chance Sisco for assignment today, according to an industry source, and appear ready to add a pitcher to the 40-man roster prior to tonight's game against the Blue Jays at Camden Yards. Sisco's removal from the 40-man opens a spot. Sisco broke camp with the team again and was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on May 31 while the Orioles selected catcher Austin Wynn's contract from the Tides. Sisco, a second-round pick in the 2013 draft, was batting...

Wynns expected to join Orioles for upcoming homestand

Wynns expected to join Orioles for upcoming homestand
The Orioles are prepared to make a change with their catchers. Austin Wynns is in Baltimore, according to sources, and could be placed on the active roster for Monday afternoon's game against the Twins. Because he isn't on the 40-man roster, a corresponding move would be necessary. Wynns didn't play in the majors in 2020. He's a career .239/.271/.339 hitter in 70 games with the Orioles and has thrown out 10 of 36 runners attempting to steal. Among three catchers on Triple-A Norfolk's...

Updating Baumann, Kjerstad, Akin, Ciuffo, Baumler and more

Updating Baumann, Kjerstad, Akin, Ciuffo, Baumler and more
Mike Baumann's exclusion from a break-camp roster is the result of lingering discomfort in his right arm, leaving one of the top pitching prospects in the Orioles organization at extended spring training in Sarasota, Fla. Baumann, ranked No. 8 by MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America, was shut down last summer at the alternate camp site in Bowie due to a right flexor strain. He was able to throw in spring training, though not competitively. The Orioles placed Baumann on the 40-man roster in...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
Not only has Orioles hitting coach Don Long noticed, along with everyone else, the spike in offensive production from center fielder Cedric Mullins, he's also enjoyed the changes that aren't evident in box scores. "I was really proud of him last year for his personality emerging," Long said yesterday on his Zoom call with the media. "The first year that he was here, kind of getting to know him, he was fairly quiet. He's not a real boisterous guy anyway, but you could see his personality...

Orioles and Athletics lineups (updated)

Orioles and Athletics lineups (updated)
Shortstop Freddy Galvis remains out of the Orioles lineup tonight, his day-to-day status extending at least to Saturday. Ramón Urías is the shortstop for the series opener in Oakland. Pat Valaika is the second baseman. Rio Ruiz is playing third base instead of Maikel Franco. Austin Hays stays in left field and DJ Stewart stays in right. Ryan Mountcastle gets another start at first base, with Trey Mancini the designated hitter. Left-hander John Means has allowed one run or fewer in eight...

Orioles release alternate training site roster

Orioles release alternate training site roster
The Orioles basically are scattered in three areas this month, with the team in New York for the first road trip of the season, minor league players reporting to the Sarasota complex for the next wave of spring training and a group working out at the alternate camp site in Bowie. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad remains on the outside. The plan calls for him to skip spring training and go directly to Prince George's Stadium, but he hasn't been cleared to participate. Kjerstad was the second overall...

Hyde provides updates on Martin and Stewart (Franco signs)

Hyde provides updates on Martin and Stewart (Franco signs)
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is withholding Richie Martin from his first game until after Thursday's off-day. Hyde is being cautious with Martin, who had the hamate bone removed from his left hand in January. Martin hit yesterday on a back field at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. "Wrist is feeling pretty good," Hyde said today on his Zoom call. "We're pushing him back a couple days. ... He's going to continue to take at-bats on the back field here. "It's just coming off a hamate and your...

Cue the Orioles curiosities as camp continues

Cue the Orioles curiosities as camp continues
The Orioles made their first round of cuts and none of them were surprising. They must get down to 26 players by opening day and the roster holds 68, including outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who hasn't been cleared for workouts. The time was ripe for some trimming. There's still lots of work to be done. Starters are getting their second turns. More pitchers are going to be stretched out. Players are rotating to other positions. The usual camp activity. Many of the curiosities that I shared prior...

Reviewing Harvey's start, Mountcastle's homer and a 13-4 loss

Reviewing Harvey's start, Mountcastle's homer and a 13-4 loss
The contract was signed and workouts monitored. The ball was handed to him today in Dunedin, Fla. But Matt Harvey wouldn't really fit in with the Orioles until he faced Blue Jays outfielder Randal Grichuk. Now he's truly a member of the club. Making his debut appearance, Harvey loaded the bases in the first inning and Grichuk drove in two runs with a double in Toronto's 13-4 win in Dunedin. Pat Valaika and Ryan Mountcastle homered for the Orioles, who are 2-3-1. Catcher Nick Ciuffo drove in...

What comes next with Triple-A season pushed back?

What comes next with Triple-A season pushed back?
The Orioles knew that the Triple-A season could be pushed back at least a month, along with the other affiliates in baseball. The ESPN.com report Wednesday night didn't really blindside anyone in the organization. Only the timing enabled it to sneak up on some people. They were told that it could be announced by mid-March, but the news came a little bit earlier than that. How the Orioles deal with the latest changes due to COVID-19 and the need for more vaccinations is a work in progress....

Lineup speculation, pitching decisions and more

Lineup speculation, pitching decisions and more
The first lineup of 2021 spring training will be posted later this morning, with Trey Mancini the only confirmed player in it. Manager Brandon Hyde said that Mancini will be the first baseman. The rest can be speculated. The Orioles are home, which usually puts more starters on the field. They had Hanser Alberto leading off and playing second base last year in the first game at Ed Smith Stadium. Mancini was in right field, Chris Davis at first base, Pedro Severino behind the plate, Dwight Smith...

Still wondering about Orioles as first workout looms

Still wondering about Orioles as first workout looms
The first spring training workout is four days away. Some baseballs will be dropped, but not many clues about how the roster is going to be constructed and the pitching staff assembled. The full squad doesn't take the field until Feb. 22, but again, there's only so much you can read into early drills. Maybe where some players are taking grounders, though the media isn't permitted on the back fields. Maybe where some players are grouped - whether a fringe guy is placed with the regulars or...

40-man roster could require restructuring

40-man roster could require restructuring
Pitchers and catchers are required to report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in less than a week. The offseason is about to move into the spring training workout phase, followed by exhibition games - adjusted from the original schedule to eliminate longer-distance travel - played while everyone holds their breath. Not a bad idea during a pandemic. Reduce the risk of a positive test for COVID-19. The Orioles aren't a finished product and roster moves are coming while they're in camp. More...