We’re only a few days away from moving past 2022, leaving behind the good and the bad. The personal and professional triumphs and the failures.

This is a time for reflection on the Orioles beat. Certain moments stick with everyone. Others might have gone unnoticed by most or happened during one-on-one interactions.

I’ll share some of mine, in no particular order, over the next few days.

* Manager Brandon Hyde revealed on March 16 that catcher Adley Rutschman was shut down with a strained right triceps, an injury that surfaced during an intrasquad game in Sarasota. On the same day that Heston Kjerstad, the second overall pick in the 2020 draft, strained his hamstring while chasing a line drive in left field that resulted in Rutschman’s inside-the-park home run.

We didn’t know whether Rutschman had a chance to break camp with the team prior to reporting, but the injury removed the drama. He was staying back at extended spring training.

HOUSTON – Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias is on this road trip with the Orioles and told reporters today in the Orioles dugout that no decision has been made yet as to whether Gunnar Henderson, ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the sport by Baseball America, will be called up to the Orioles.

“We are watching everything he is doing carefully,” Elias said. “And having ongoing conversations about when and how he might factor into that in 2022, but no decisions have been made. But it’s obviously something we are monitoring and very pleased where he is at as a 21-year-old that started the year in Double-A.

“We do (see rosters) expand on Sept. 1. We are, obviously, going to be adding one position player and one pitcher. I don’t know who those are. Everything changes day to day in baseball. Somebody could get hurt. We’re just going to have to see. He’s put himself in a spot to be considered but he’s still having ups and downs in Triple-A on a nightly basis, and we’re watching that too.”

Henderson, in 108 games between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk, has batted .292/.415/.531/.946 with 19 homers and 75 RBIs.

Elias was asked what Henderson still needs to show to get his shot with the Orioles.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Trey Mancini was stalling. Finding excuses to stay at his locker. Knowing that walking out of the clubhouse would be his final act with the Orioles.

Mancini wasn’t coming back. At least, not in 2022.

A bag sat on the floor, packed for the trip to Houston, where he’d meet his new team.

The old team could have come out flat tonight in its series opener against the Rangers and everyone would have understood. The energy seemed to get sucked out of the room. And the Orioles rely so heavily on it.

Cedric Mullins hit his 14^th career leadoff home run, and the Orioles sent nine batters to the plate in the second inning while building a four-run lead. The Rangers committed a fielding error in the second, and starter Jon Gray walked off the mound with soreness in his left side in the middle of Anthony Santander’s at-bat with the bases loaded.

ARLINGTON, Texas - Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias knew that trading Trey Mancini would be an unpopular move. A beloved player and leader inside the clubhouse. Someone fans adore. The face of the franchise. A class act and an ideal role model.

Part of a team that’s been a surprise contender, just three games out of the last wild card spot heading into tonight’s series opener against the Rangers.

But Elias stuck to business, and he couldn’t pass up the two pitching prospects who came to the Orioles in a three-team transaction.

Elias acquired right-hander Seth Johnson from the Rays and Chayce McDermott from the Astros. Houston also gets right-hander Jayden Murray from the Rays, who obtained outfielder José Siri from Houston.

Johnson will undergo Tommy John surgery, making him a longer-term investment for the Orioles. Both pitchers are coming from the high Single-A level.

ARLINGTON, Texas – The Orioles made their first deadline trade today and it involves first baseman/outfielder Trey Mancini, who’s going to the Astros in exchange for multiple pitching prospects, according to an industry source.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is dealing with his former organization, and the cost is the longest tenured player in the Orioles’ clubhouse and a fan favorite who didn't want to leave but understood the business.

Mancini hit an inside-the-park home run Thursday in his final at-bat as an Oriole at Camden Yards. Fans called him back onto the field, as if knowing he’d be gone by the next homestand.

The Orioles drafted Mancini in the eighth round in 2013 out of the University of Notre Dame. He reached the majors three years later and leaves the organization with a career .270/.334/.463 line in 701 games. He had 137 doubles, 11 triples, 117 home runs and 350 RBIs in 2,933 plate appearances.

Mancini emerged as the clubhouse leader and an inspiration after beating Stage 3 colon cancer, which was diagnosed in March 2020. He returned in 2021, finished as runner-up in the All-Star Home Run Derby, and won three Comeback Player of the Year awards.

Not every day at the ballpark is eventful, and not every day is created equal. Yesterday, for instance. It was a special day to be at Camden Yards, especially in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Needing a win to go over .500, take three of four from the Tampa Bay Rays and go 5-5 in a 10-game stretch versus the Yankees and Rays, the Orioles got one. A 3-0 shutout over the Rays to get to 50-49. Game No. 100 comes tonight in Cincinnati and the Orioles will be, at worst, a .500 team contending for a playoff spot.

But when Trey Mancini lifted a fly ball to right field with Austin Hays on second with one out in the O's eighth, it looked like what could be his last at-bat at home as an Oriole would go down F9 in the scorebook. But right fielder Josh Lowe lost the ball in the sun, it hit him in the face and Mancini circled the bases, beating the relay home for a thrilling two-run, inside-the-park homer.

Just when the O’s needed a big hit, they got one. From Mancini. On Mo Gaba Day. On the anniversary of the day Mancini lost his dear friend two years ago. On the day he caught the ceremonial first pitch from Mo’s mom, Sonsy, on Mo Gaba Day at the ballpark.

It was an amazing Mo-ment.

Trey Mancini stood at his locker this morning and packed his folded clothes in a duffle bag for the trip to Cincinnati, where the Orioles begin their next road trip. He’s going to board the team charter. But his eventual destination is unknown.

Fans at Camden Yards stood to applaud Mancini again before his first at-bat, knowing that he could be traded by Tuesday’s deadline. They’ve seen the schedule. They know that the Orioles don’t return home until Aug. 5.  

The response from Mancini was a line drive single into left field, his third hit since entering last night’s game in an 0-for-26 slump. Nothing emotional in the batter’s box. Just his usual professional approach.

Mancini batted in the eighth after Austin Hays doubled in a 3-0 win over the Rays, and of course, it had to be dramatic. A fly ball to right field off former Orioles reliever Shawn Armstrong that hit Josh Lowe in the face, Mancini rounding the bases for his 10^th home run and first career inside-the-park, the place erupting.

The first inside-the-park homer by the Orioles since Hays on Aug. 11, 2020 in Philadelphia. Robert Andino had the last one in Baltimore, on Sept. 26, 2011.

The Orioles have not been in the playoffs since the 2016 season and that was the last year they had two straight winning months. That is, until now.

When the Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Monday night, they improved to 13-6 in July with six games to play in the month at that point. And following up on June, when they had a 14-12 record, it meant they had back-to-back winning months. Something that had not happened in Birdland since May (14-13) and June (19-9) of 2016.

Two veteran Orioles believe that was very important to this rebuilding, improving club as it takes its next steps back toward contending baseball.

“It’s very significant,” Trey Mancini said. “Especially since August of 2017 was the last time we had a winning month, it certainly has some significance. Like we keep saying, though, it’s not the end-all to have a couple of good months, but it is a very nice step and things are moving in the right direction.

“Being in a playoff conversation this time of year is very exciting, given how the last few years have gone. Something to be really proud of, and I’m very proud of this team. I believe in this team enough to not get too ahead of ourselves or too satisfied. We’re still going to come out every day and play hard and do what we’ve been doing. We know that is what you have to do to be where you want to be at the end of the year.”

The Orioles’ innings eater won’t be eating much today.

Jordan Lyles was scratched from his scheduled start against the Rays this afternoon due to a stomach virus, manager Brandon Hyde told the media before Sunday’s game. Reliever Austin Voth will start in Lyles’ stead, but isn’t expected to go more than a couple innings.

“We found out at about 7:30, 8 o’clock this morning,” said Hyde. “With the off-day tomorrow, that’s the one positive thing of this is that we do have a day off tomorrow, so I can use a lot of bullpen guys today and give them a day off tomorrow.”

Lyles hasn’t missed a turn in the rotation yet this season, making 13 starts and compiling a 5.10 ERA as Hyde’s veteran workhorse.

Voth, who was claimed off waivers from the Nationals on June 7, has pitched only 3 ⅓ innings with the Orioles, all in relief, surrendering two runs and striking out three. The 29-year-old righty started 22 games over five seasons in Washington.

TORONTO – It was the night when Adley Rutschman hit his first career homer and Ryan Mountcastle hit two longballs. The Orioles rallied from five runs down to tie the game. It was set up to be a huge comeback win. But the Orioles instead absorbed a 7-6 walk-off loss at Toronto.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued to torment O’s pitching with a 116 mph single into left field in the 10th inning to end the game. It was his fourth hit of the night, his first career walk-off RBI and third career four-hit game.

Some notes and quotes on the third game of this series, which Toronto now leads 2-1.

He got to wear the chain: Starting to swing the bat better and with a 5-for-18 mark over his last five games with three doubles coming into the night, Rutschman went deep for the first time in the majors.

Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos gave up just one hit over the first six innings, and it was Rutschman’s drive to right-center in the fourth that went the distance. It was a two-run shot that cut the O’s deficit to 5-2. Rutschman would later double for his fourth multi-hit game of the year and his second game with two extra-base hits.

TORONTO - The Orioles lineup tonight is missing Trey Mancini. He was hit in the right hand by a pitch last night and had his hand wrapped today in the clubhouse earlier. X-rays showed there is no fracture and Mancini is hopeful that he may only have to miss a day or two, or a few at most.

“Trey’s hand is pretty swollen today,” manager Brandon Hyde said during his pregame media briefing. “It’s going to be a few days. We don’t think it’s going to be an IL stint. We got lucky with no fractures last night. But hopefully it’s going to (only) be a few days.”

Any time without Mancini will be challenging for an Orioles team trying to match up on offense with this Toronto club. Mancini is 0-for-5 the last two games but his .797 OPS for the year is 30 percent above league average. And since May 1, he is batting .326/.424/.482/.907 in 38 games.

Kyle Stowers will join Mancini on the bench as tonight’s game starts. With lefty Yusei Kikuchi (2-2, 4.44 ERA) starting for Toronto, Ryan McKenna is in left field tonight, with Cedric Mullins in center and Austin Hays in right. Ryan Mountcastle starts at first base and Adley Rutschman is the DH.

Stowers, the Orioles' No. 8 ranked prospect, per MLBPipeline.com, made his major league debut last night, going 1-for-3 with a seventh-inning RBI double.

TORONTO – Trey Mancini walked into the visiting clubhouse this afternoon with his right hand wrapped in black tape. His name missing from the lineup. His mind uncertain when he'd get back on the field.

Mancini was hit in the sixth inning last night by a 91 mph sinker from Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah. He reached first base on a slow roller up the third base line, and a lengthy challenge led to the ruling that he struck out swinging.

Richie Martin pinch-hit for Mancini in the seventh.

X-rays didn’t reveal a fracture in the hand, but Mancini isn’t available to play tonight and might not be able to leave a short bench Wednesday.

“It’s swollen. Not great, but luckily no fracture, so I say day-to-day, but it’s pretty swollen,” Mancini said. “Once the swelling goes down it should be good again to grip the bat again and go, but I’m not exactly sure.

Baseball’s trade deadline is pushed back a few days this summer to Aug. 2, maybe providing a little more time for Trey Mancini to field questions about his status on the market, the likelihood that he’s moved, how much he hopes to stay.

Stuff he can recite in his sleep because he’s had so much practice with it.

This is an annual event in Baltimore. The Preakness Stakes feel small by comparison.

The Orioles included a $10 million mutual option in Mancini’s contract with a $250,000 buyout that could keep them together in 2023, but it’s rare that the sides agree. And Mancini made it clear after signing his new deal that his status isn’t really impacted. He just as easily could be traded. Embedding the option isn’t equivalent to planting roots.

Mancini actually could be more enticing to some clubs that may not view him immediately as a summer rental. There’s at least a possibility of keeping him an extra year.

Bruce Zimmermann’s side work this week might have received as much attention as any start he’s made in 2022.

Zimmermann knew he had to try something else with the home runs against him reaching club-record proportions. The Orioles targeted the vulnerable areas, just as his opponents had done.

Mechanical adjustments were part of the process, nothing that they were going to broadcast to the world or just the Guardians. An attempt to get teams off his slider and changeup, which the Red Sox appeared to be sitting on during Sunday’s blowout loss.

In a game that demands adjustments, particularly from young pitchers, Zimmermann had to find a fix and hoped it began in the bullpen with pitching coach Chris Holt and assistant Darren Holmes.

“We believe in Zimm,” manager Brandon Hyde said before the game.

Trey Mancini seemed to be choosing his words a bit carefully. He didn’t want any misunderstanding. But when I asked him recently about the possible arrival soon of top prospect Adley Rutschman, he let it be known the clubhouse will embrace him with open arms.

He also wanted us to know the team is getting better before our eyes this season and working very hard on what they need to do each day with the current roster. They seem focused on the day-to-day business of baseball and are not looking too far down the road. They can leave that to media and fans to ponder and speculate about when we will see Rutschman in Baltimore.

“It’s cool (he could arrive soon), but at the same time, I want to word this correctly, like we’re worried about here and now,” said Mancini, during the last homestand. “We know guys are coming and it’s exciting. But at the same time, I think we are more paying attention to who is here now. And what is going on around here.

“Whenever they come up it’s going to be awesome and we’re going to show them the ropes. But, you know, it’s major league baseball at the same time, too. When the whole crew of guys comes up, I think they’re going to be really good and be here for a long time. There will be some great teams.

"But it’s a tough division, too. There definitely is a bit of a learning curve at times. I think we have enough guys here and the culture has been really good that we can show them the ropes. I think it’s going to be really good. We’re really excited for him to come up, and a lot of other guys. But at the same time, we are more focused on the day-to-day and trying to win ballgames right now.”

When the Orioles scored a season-high nine runs last Sunday at home versus Boston, they followed up that game by scoring one and two in the next two games against Minnesota. But when they tied that season high by scoring nine runs on Wednesday night, they came back the next night and hit five solo homers in Thursday’s 5-3 win.

The Orioles scored 14 runs the last two games against Minnesota's good pitching staff, one that was having a heckuva year until the last two nights. The Twins, as a result of those games, dropped to fourth in team ERA in the American League at 3.36.

But Kansas City, which faces the Orioles for three games over the next two days in Baltimore, ranks last in the AL in team ERA at 4.57 and last in WHIP at 1.36. The Royals' rotation ERA ranks 13th at 4.32.

Kansas City, since going 5-5 to begin the season, has lost 10 of 13 games and is 1-5 over its last six games. Can the O’s now take advantage of another team considered more on their level that is now struggling? We begin to find out tonight.

There are signs the O’s offense is continuing to trend up, as we’ve written about over the last week or so.

The Orioles had lost 16 games and two starting pitchers before tonight. High marks less than a full month into their season.

They won’t run the table after tonight’s 9-4 victory over the Twins at Camden Yards, but perhaps they could avoid more changes to their rotation created by injuries.

The lesser of two long shots.

Chris Ellis was supposed to replace John Means, at least for a while, but he’s done in 2022 after today’s procedure to clean up his right labrum and rotator cuff.

Spenser Watkins closes out the series Thursday night opposite Chris Archer, and Jordan Lyles, Tyler Wells and Bruce Zimmermann stay in turn this weekend against the Royals. Kansas City is starting Carlos Hernández, Daniel Lynch and Zack Greinke.

Trey Mancini completed his rounds of batting practice this afternoon, walked back inside the clubhouse and stayed in the lineup.

At least, as the Orioles left the field and the Twins began infield drills.

Manager Brandon Hyde planned on starting Mancini, who missed the past three games with bruised ribs, but there was a final test.

“He feels better,” Hyde said before heading outdoors. “He’s going to take batting practice, which starts here in about 20 minutes, and then we’re going to kind of go from there.

“He wants to be in there, he’s going to give it every effort, like the gamer he is, to try to be in there. But we’re still going to evaluate him after BP.”

Captain Obvious checked in with me again this weekend. To his credit, he first asked me how I was feeling and then discussed the O’s offense. He told me they were really struggling. This call came before Sunday’s game, when the Orioles scored a season-high nine runs.

It was obvious they had a good day and we didn’t need any Captains to notice that.

But they had scored just three runs combined in the first two games of the Boston series and, as always, the Captain had a valid point.

Here is the good news: Before Sunday, they were struggling so much that the stat sheet and history tell us they will get better, at least to some degree. And then we can look at several key Baltimore hitters and see how they are performing and how when they get it going - and they likely will - that should help too.

First, here is a look at the lowest scoring teams in the majors the last three years in runs per game, and where the Orioles were in those seasons.

The Orioles are in New York for a three-game series that wraps up a long road trip. Three cities, one terrible piece of news regarding ace John Means and one significant update on catcher Adley Rutschman.

Rutschman is in Aberdeen tonight, where the high Single-A IronBirds open a six-game series against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. The usual Monday off-day is followed by six more home games against the Brooklyn Cyclones.

It’s highly unlikely that Rutschman sticks around for a dozen games, but the Orioles aren’t laying out an exact plan. He’s going to dictate how quickly he moves through his injury rehab assignment.

DL Hall also is reporting to Aberdeen this afternoon, but he isn’t returning from a recent injury. The Orioles have him on a progression after he made only seven starts last summer with Double-A Bowie due to a stress reaction his left elbow.

Hall already proved that he made a full recovery by firing fastballs at 98-100 mph in Clearwater while retiring the Phillies in order with two strikeouts. He’ll get back to Double-A Bowie, eventually pitch at Triple-A Norfolk and, assuming he stays healthy, debut with the Orioles this summer.