The Orioles close out their road trip this afternoon in Miami, trying to avoid being swept by a team with the worst record in the National League, and get ready for another reunion with Manny Machado, whose only previous return to Camden Yards happened in 2019.

Their roster was adjusted again yesterday but didn’t involve a trade. Chayce McDermott had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk, reliever Bryan Baker was optioned and pitcher Jonathan Heasley was designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster. The move with Baker was made late Tuesday night.

Right shoulder inflammation prevented Heasley from pitching since June 11, when he started against Memphis and allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings. He surrendered six runs and nine hits in 2 1/3 in his previous start at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he was really good in May with 16 scoreless innings with the Tides.

Heasley also made one appearance with the Orioles that month and allowed four runs in one inning against the White Sox in Chicago. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Monday.

The injury should make it easier for Heasley to clear waivers and be outrighted if the Orioles want to hold onto him.

Jordan Westburg began yesterday’s game on the bench, only the second time this season that his name was missing from the lineup. He wouldn’t budge because of a stomach virus, robbing the Orioles of a bat that might have impacted the outcome of the game, a 7-6 loss to the Athletics.

Westburg has made 18 starts at third base and six at second, and he’s also served once as the designated hitter. He’ll return to the infield tonight if he’s recovered from the bug, still charged with only one error in 93 major league games.

Memories are fuzzy when it comes to identifying the location and exact situation, but Westburg’s lone miscue happened on Aug. 15, 2023 in San Diego. Manager Brandon Hyde did some shuffling after the top of the seventh inning, moving Ramón Urías from third base to first, shifting Ryan O’Hearn from first to right field, and sending Westburg into the game to play third.

The Orioles were down 10-1 when the first batter in the inning, Xander Bogaerts reached on a ground ball that Westburg fielded to his left before bouncing the throw. Urías couldn’t handle it and Westburg was charged with the error.

Bogaerts raced to third base on Jake Cronenworth’s double, but Mike Baumann escaped the jam with two strikeouts and a fly ball. No harm done.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles third base coach Tony Mansolino carried his fungo bat to the left side of the cage yesterday and began spraying ground balls to infielders. He moved near the stands behind the plate and fired baseballs into the padding to get his arm loose, then threw his appointed round of batting practice.

Also the team’s infield instructor, Mansolino was separated from two of his prized pupils who made the trip to Dunedin for the other split-squad game against the Blue Jays. Jackson Holliday started at second base again and hit his first spring home run, a grand slam that disappeared over the right field fence and everything beyond it. Coby Mayo made his initial start at first base to put a temporary hold on his tutelage at the opposite corner.

Holliday has a quick bat and he’s a quick study.

If the Orioles were searching for an excuse to reassign him rather than take him to Baltimore for Opening Day, inexperience at second and the need for more reps in Triple-A would have sufficed, especially if he wasn’t performing to their high defensive standards.

An .050 average also might have done the trick, but Holliday is hitting .286 with a .917 OPS, two doubles, two triples and one monstrous homer. Only his 11 strikeouts against one walk in nine games could be held against him.

Tony Mansolino holds the same curiosity. Being closer to the subject doesn’t offer an ounce of clarity.

The Orioles’ third base coach doubles as its infield instructor. He works with a talented young group that’s certain to expand with more prospect arrivals in 2024.

He can do the math.

An overflow is upon us.

Gunnar Henderson was voted Rookie of the Year in the American League. Jordan Westburg, another high-round draft pick, moved between second and third base. Defensive wiz Joey Ortiz made his major league debut and routinely is chosen as the best-fielding shortstop in the organization. Top overall prospect Jackson Holliday could break camp with the team or join it shortly after the season begins. Coby Mayo is threatening to bash down the door.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles eventually will reach the stage of spring training when prospects are sent to the minor league side at Twin Lakes Park to get ready for their season. They received the necessary camp exposure. They got the full experience. The major league coaches became more familiar with them. Zero downside to it.

In a spontaneous contest to create the loudest buzz at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, the young infielders ganged up on the competition.

I keep hearing how much the coaches are impressed with the group. The message has been passed along by many people. The level of talent, the polish and the maturity blow them away.

It’s hard to live up to the hype, with so many high draft choices, but they’re doing exactly that – proving worthy of their rankings in the top 100 lists.

Jackson Holliday is only 19, a year removed from high school, and observers can’t stop talking about him. The way he takes ground balls, his swings, his calm demeanor. No moment has been too big.

NEW YORK – An Orioles rotation missing its No. 1 starter is forced to fill another opening with the season less than a month old.

Chris Ellis was placed on the 10-day injured list this afternoon with right shoulder inflammation, the same condition that shut him down last September.

Alexander Wells was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, a simply and logical transaction with the left-hander on the taxi squad. He already had a locker inside the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium.

Ellis faced only five batters Sunday in Anaheim and didn’t retire anyone. He walked three, hit one and surrendered a two-run single.

Mound visits from pitching coach Chris Holt and later head athletic trainer Brian Ebel preceded his removal from the game.

Allowed to throw 84 pitches over four innings on opening day, Orioles left-hander John Means can be pushed a bit more tonight in his start against the Brewers.

Wade into the medium level of the pool before submerging in the deep end.

“It depends on how efficient he is, traffic, stressful innings,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I’m hoping to get him up to five or six innings and in the 85-pitch range or maybe a little higher. Kind of see how the game goes.”

The Dodgers pulled Clayton Kershaw today after seven perfect innings, another product of a short spring training. Hyde was asked what he’d do tonight if Means was perfect through the seventh at 80 pitches.

No mention of Kershaw. Just a “what if.”