Two days past Thanksgiving is too early to begin worrying whether the leftovers are edible. To check for discoloring, change in texture, hints that a trip to the emergency room is in your future.

It isn’t too late to keep looking back on the 2023 Orioles season.

Among the surprises and oddities, I’ve already mentioned how Austin Voth wasn’t impactful, Dillon Tate wasn’t able to pitch, Mike Baumann wasn’t big only in size, Yennier Cano was an All-Star, Danny Coulombe was cool under pressure, Adam Frazier had a power surge and outage, Ryan O’Hearn hit in the middle of the order, Cedric Mullins posted curious splits, and Joey Krehbiel wasn’t around much.

Here are three more:

Logan Gillaspie made the Opening Day roster.

The Orioles completed their roster move today by welcoming reliever Shintaro Fujinami to the club and optioning Logan Gillaspie to Triple-A Norfolk.

Fujinami was acquired from the Athletics on Wednesday for Triple-A left-hander Easton Lucas. He goes into the bullpen, where Gillaspie sat for two games without pitching.

Fujinami was given No. 14, last worn by infielder Rio Ruiz in 2021.

Alone in first place for the first time since August 2016, the Orioles will try to build on their one-game lead with Kyle Bradish back on the mound and on his own roll.

Bradish has lowered is ERA to 3.05, with no runs allowed in his last two starts over 13 1/3 innings and one run in his last three over 19 1/3. He’s surrendered three runs in his last four starts spanning 26 1/3 innings.

The Orioles reinstated center fielder Cedric Mullins from the injured list this afternoon. They also recalled left-hander Bruce Zimmermann and optioned reliever Logan Gillaspie and infielder Josh Lester to Triple-A Norfolk.

Mullins finished his rehab assignment with Norfolk after Thursday’s doubleheader and returned to Baltimore. He’s leading off today.

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle stayed with the Tides last night. He isn’t included to today’s transactions.

Lester tossed a scoreless ninth inning last night in his professional pitching debut and reached on an error in the bottom half.

Ryan O’Hearn is playing first base again and batting cleanup. Gunnar Henderson is the shortstop. Aaron Hicks moves to right fielid.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Selected the contract of C Anthony Bemboom from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Recalled RHP Logan Gillaspie from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Designated RHP Spenser Watkins for assignment.
• Optioned C José Godoy to Triple-A Norfolk.
• RHP Noah Denoyer has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles made a series of roster moves before playing their first game tonight against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

The pitching staff and catchers are impacted again.

Spenser Watkins was designated for assignment this morning to create room for catcher Anthony Bemboom on the 40-man roster. The Orioles selected Bemboom’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned backup José Godoy. 

Right-hander Logan Gillaspie was recalled from Norfolk to work in a middle relief role.

Watkins joined the Orioles twice this season but didn’t pitch for them. He missed a month with a laceration on his right ring finger, an injury sustained with Norfolk.

Don’t be fooled by the smile.

Logan Gillaspie knows when it’s appropriate to be a nice guy. Like, for instance, when teammates, club employees and reporters walk over to his locker. When he’s around his family or is approached by a fan.

Pretty much anytime except when he’s pitching.

The Orioles recalled Gillaspie from Triple-A Norfolk Monday morning and gave him another chance in their bullpen. They kept him busy after taking him north, with appearances made on March 30 and April 1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12 and 15.

Gillaspie didn’t allow a run or hit in his first three games over 1 2/3 innings. Four of the next five were harsh, including his final outing in the 10^th inning in Chicago. The automatic runner scored, and so did pinch-runner Seby Zavala after back-to-back singles by Jake Burger and Oscar Colás.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled LHP Cole Irvin from Triple-A Norfolk.
• Optioned RHP Logan Gillaspie to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.

Cole Irvin is returning to the Orioles.

The left-hander’s stay at Triple-A lasted a month and cost him a spot in the rotation. However, he’s back in the home clubhouse for tonight’s game against the Angels at Camden Yards.

The Orioles announced that they recalled Irvin from Norfolk and optioned reliever Logan Gillaspie, who barely had time to unpack his bags before leaving.

Gillaspie was informed of the decision last night after allowing a run, plus an inherited runner from Grayson Rodriguez to score, in 1 2/3 innings in a 9-5 loss. The Angels collected four hits and a walk.

Irvin was a surprise demotion on April 14 after making only three starts. His strike-throwing reputation took a hit, with Irvin posting a 10.66 ERA and 1.974 WHIP and averaging 5.7 walks per nine innings.

The Orioles have optioned outfielder Kyle Stowers for the second time this season.

They announced the latest move this morning, though Stowers was informed after yesterday’s 4-0 loss to the Pirates at Camden Yards.

Reliever Logan Gillaspie is joining the club from Triple-A Norfolk, where Stowers is headed after striking out four times yesterday to raise his season total to 12.

Stowers accounted for four of the team’s 17 strikeouts. He’s 2-for-30 in 14 games, with three walks and one run scored.

The Orioles broke camp with Stowers and sent him down April 9 while reinstating backup catcher James McCann from the injured list. Stowers barely had played, going hitless in four at-bats.

The Orioles are off again today before beginning a stretch of 10 games in a row, the next six at home against the Tigers and Red Sox. They’ve gone 6-0 in series openers.

If you’re wondering why the Orioles have two off-days as bookends to a two-game series in D.C., you aren’t alone. I’m sure they’d prefer having those breaks spread out.

The timing is unexpectedly good, though, with shortstop Jorge Mateo day-to-day with right hip discomfort.

Detroit won five in a row before yesterday’s loss to the Guardians. The Orioles and Tigers also meet in a four-game series at Comerica Park beginning on April 27.

This is still viewed as the “soft spot” in the schedule, which began after the Yankees left town. The Orioles won three of four from the Athletics and two of three from the White Sox, and swept the Nationals in their two-game set.

WASHINGTON – The Orioles are getting closer to gaining reinforcements for their well used bullpen. Manager Brandon Hyde said today he is hopeful that both Mychal Givens and Dillon Tate can begin rehab assignments sometime next week.

Both right-handers have officially been on the injured list since Opening Day. Givens is out due to left knee inflammation. He pitched in four spring games, allowing one unearned run in four innings. His last spring game was March 16. Tate, on the IL with a strained right forearm, did not pitch at all during spring.

Some already thought that Givens was a bit ahead in his rehab and might push up his return date, but now it appears both pitchers could return sooner than anticipated.

“Hopefully, both of those guys are going to go out at some point next week for rehab assignments,” Hyde said.

Hyde said timelines for the return of both are “pretty similar and it’s all going to depend on how they feel. And we’re hoping to get them both out of Sarasota sometime next week.”

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde kept rookie Grayson Rodriguez on the mound Tuesday for 99 pitches, the right-hander’s highest total in four years dating back to A ball. It wasn’t a test of strength and endurance. It wasn’t intended as a professional life lesson.

The club just needed the length.

“I can’t continue to pull our starters in the fifth inning,” Hyde said afterward.

Rodriguez was gone after walking the bases loaded and retiring only one batter in the fifth, the failure to put away hitters with two strikes coming back to bite him. But the stuff is filthy and the leash is long enough to reach Chicago, where he’ll start again Sunday afternoon.

What happens after that is the mystery, with Kyle Bradish pitching Friday night at Double-A Bowie and lined up for an April 19 return in D.C. if he stays on turn.

Orioles starter Kyle Bradish is expected to begin an injury rehab assignment later this week.

Manager Brandon Hyde said this afternoon that Bradish should be joining an affiliate within the next couple days. Double-A Bowie is home and seems like a logical spot.

Bradish is on the 15-day injured list after being hit on the right foot by a line drive last Monday in Texas. He’s eligible to return on April 19.

A bullpen session on Saturday left Bradish and the team encouraged. The bruise remains but his discomfort has subsided.

This is pretty much the extent of today’s news. The roster is unchanged since yesterday, and Hyde said Gunnar Henderson is just getting a day off against Oakland left-hander JP Sears.

For a pitcher that once was trying to make it to the majors while starting out in independent league baseball, making an Opening Day roster was special. And there was O's bullpen right-hander Logan Gillaspie, 25, running down the orange carpet with the rest of the Orioles on Friday afternoon.

He made his MLB debut last May 17 with two scoreless innings against the Yankees, and now has an ERA of 3.26 in 19 1/3 big league innings with the Orioles over the last two seasons.

Gillaspie’s pro career began in 2017 in independent league baseball, where he actually spent time as both a pitcher and position player.

His record from the 2017 season shows 22 games on the mound for three different teams, plus a few games at first base and catcher, and even one at shortstop. He went 4-for-23 as a hitter.

The Milwaukee Brewers signed him in 2018 but released him in 2019. The Orioles signed him on June 9, 2021, and he made his big league debut on the mound at Camden Yards last May. And he was a surprise addition to the bullpen on Opening Day this year.

BOSTON – The Orioles came within a pitch, an out, a fly ball, of guaranteeing a series win at Fenway Park and wound up losing two of three games.

Baseball isn’t boring. It’s just so darn unpredictable and doesn’t care about your feelings.

The 2022 season began with three losses at Tropicana Field, and the Orioles contended for the wild card until the final week. In that sense, they’re further ahead in 2023.

Here are some leftover topics and observations as they get ready for the Rangers, who already won their opening series against the defending National League champion Phillies before the teams played again last night.

Impact of bigger bases blown out of proportion.
At least so far.

BOSTON – The Orioles can’t just sit on their 1.000 winning percentage as if it’s a papasan shaped like their loss total in 2023. They’ll have to play another game. Maybe the rain gods will get their own off-day, or we’ll have to wait a little longer. But it’s happening.

The beauty of yesterday’s prearranged break is it allows fans, though eager for an immediate follow up, to reflect a little more on Opening Day. To savor the sensation of a 10-9 win and catcher Adley Rutschman’s historic performance.

Rutschman soaked up a spotlight that he didn’t pursue. He kept trying to step aside of it while staying in the MASN camera frame. Happy for the win. The most important thing. Don’t lose sight of it within the glare of a 5-for-5 day that included a home run and walk.

Guilty as charged. He was the main story. But let’s explore a few other nuggets from Thursday afternoon. They’ve been kept on ice, which seems right with a game time temperature of 38 degrees.

(OK, that’s above freezing, but don’t overthink it.)

BOSTON – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde posted his first lineup of the 2023 season with Ramón Urías and Adam Frazier in the infield and Gunnar Henderson serving as designated hitter.

Kyle Stowers is the odd man out, beginning the game on the bench while the Red Sox start right-hander Corey Kluber.

Urías is playing third base, Austin Hays is in right field and Anthony Santander is in left – in front of the Green Monster.

Asked in the dugout this morning about starting Urías at third, Hyde said, “Well, I’ve got Kyle Gibson on the mound and Urías won the Gold Glove at third base last year and Jorge Mateo should have won the Gold Glove at shortstop, so I feel pretty good about the left side of our infield. Obviously, I want Gunnar’s bat in the lineup.

“These guys are going to move around quite a bit. When we face (Chris) Sale, it’s going to be different, when we face (Tanner) Houck, it’s going to be different. So, it’s going to be pretty much starting-pitcher-against-us-dependent, with also who we have on the mound. But all these guys are going to play.”

BOSTON – The Orioles set their 26-man roster with the anticipated moves on the injured list and a late pivot in the bullpen.

Logan Gillaspie and Mike Baumann made the club, and Joey Krehbiel was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Krehbiel broke camp with the team and spent most of the season on the active roster before slumping over the second half and being optioned in September. He had poor numbers this spring after two exhibition appearances but got on a roll with six straight scoreless and hitless outings, and he seemed like a safe bet to travel north.

Baumann was switched to a short-inning role and thrived with five consecutive scoreless appearances. Gillaspie pitched in seven games and allowed an unearned run with two walks and 10 strikeouts in seven innings.

The Orioles placed catcher James McCann on the 10-day injured list, pitchers Dillon Tate and Mychal Givens on the 15-day IL and John Means on the 60-day IL. Catcher Anthony Bemboom’s contract was selected, giving him two Opening Day roster berths in a row.

BOSTON – The division standings plastered on the left field wall at Fenway Park don’t offer much information beyond the basics. The records and number of games out of first place. That’s it. Nothing about the wild card chase that consumes the Orioles and often torments them.

They’re ahead of the Red Sox. They’re the better team. Play like it.

Cedric Mullins had a home run, triple and three RBIs after two innings tonight, Anthony Santander hit his 30^th and 31^st home runs, Gunnar Henderson homered to break an 0-for-16 spell, and the Orioles waited out a 1 hour and 40 minute rain delay to post a 14-8 victory.

The Mariners are idle, leaving the Orioles 3 1/3 games behind the last wild card. They need one more win to guarantee a .500 season.

"Those are two tough losses we had against Houston, but we fought hard the entire time and we feel good about our chances," Santander said. "If we maintain that energy, I think we'll be fine."

Austin Hays hit the Orioles’ fifth home run of the night in the eighth inning, his solo shot to left coming against Eduard Bazardo.

BOSTON – The Orioles begin their final road trip of the season with four games at Fenway Park. They remain four behind the Mariners for the final wild card.

They could be contemplating a roster move. Pitchers Beau Sulser and Logan Gillaspie are in the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park, and the lineup card hasn’t been posted.

Infielder Ramón Urías said he should be available tonight and able to avoid shutting down over the last 10 games.

Urías has been receiving treatments for spasms between his neck and shoulder, which forced him out of the lineup and a recent game. He’s prepared to play through them.

“It’s feeling better,” he said. “Still have a little tenderness right now but feeling better and I think I’m available tonight off the bench.”