The Orioles made a series of pitching moves before tonight's game, setting up the possibility of achieving one club record and tying another during the series against the Royals.
Besides recalling Mike Baumann from Triple-A Norfolk and placing Jorge López on the 10-day injured list, the Orioles also selected the contract of reliever Manny Barreda from Norfolk and optioned reliever Zack Burdi to the Tides.
Reliever Hunter Harvey was transferred to the 60-day injured list to create a spot for Barreda on the 40-man roster.
Baumann and Barreda could push the number of Orioles making their major league debuts to 16, breaking the club record of 15 set in 2018. Their appearances would tie the 2019 mark for players used, at 58.
The Yankees selected Barreda in the 12th round of the 2007 draft out of Sahuarita (AZ) High School. He joined the Brewers organization in 2015 and the Braves in 2017, and also pitched in Mexico from 2015-20.
The Orioles signed Barreda to a minor league deal in March and he posted a 4.19 ERA and 1.427 WHIP in 23 appearances with the Tides over 34 1/3 innings. He struck out 34 batters and surrendered only three home runs.
Barreda, at 32 years and 334 days, would be the fourth-oldest Oriole to make his major league debut in club history. He'd be the third this season beyond the age of 30, joining Mickey Jannis (33 years and 189 days) and Dusten Knight (30 years and 331 days).
Baumann has made 18 starts this summer among three affiliates and gone 4-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.146 WHIP. He posted a 2.00 ERA in six starts with Norfolk over 27 innings.
Baseball America and MLBPipeline.com rank Baumann among the top 10 players in the organization. Baumann and outfielder Austin Hays were teammates at Jacksonville University from 2016-17.
With his first appearance, Baumann would become the fifth Minnesota-born pitcher (eighth player overall) to appear in a game in club history and first since right-hander Jim Brower in 2006. Reliever Tom Niedenfuer's 97 appearances are the most.
Seventy-four of Baumann's 77 games in the minors have been as a starter, but he's going to be used in a relief role.
"We're going to pitch him out of the bullpen to start," said manager Brandon Hyde. "You're going to see him kind of have extended innings out of the bullpen, but things can change here in the next few weeks also. But as of right now, he's going to be a multi-inning guy out of the 'pen.
"I've only seen him throw a few times in spring training and he's got a great arm. Someone we're really high on, he had a really good start his last start in Norfolk. Seeing his afternoon, he's pumped to be here and looking forward to watch him make his debut here in the next couple days. We're evaluating everybody, but it's good for him to get his feet wet these next three weeks, and we're excited to give him that opportunity."
Baumann, who was bothered again earlier this summer with soreness in his right elbow/forearm area, is wearing No. 53. Barreda is wearing No. 84.
"There has been some ups and there have been some downs," Baumann said. "Just looking at the past couple of months, I've definitely become a better pitcher because of it. I wouldn't change the experiences I had at the beginning of the season for anything. It made this moment a lot sweeter."
López might not pitch again this season. Hyde said the ankle sprain is "severe" and "potentially" could sideline López through the final series Oct. 1-3 in Toronto.
"He's going to miss a lot of time and it's a big loss for us, the way he was throwing out of the bullpen," Hyde said. "He's getting more tests right now, but it's a sprained ankle and he's going to be out a while."
López, who's eligible for arbitration over the winter, went 3-14 with a 6.07 ERA and 1.627 WHIP in 33 games. But he allowed two runs with 10 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings in six relief appearances.
"It's just disappointing because he was throwing the ball so well," Hyde said. "When I called down to get him up yesterday, the excitement in his voice to go pitch in a big inning with the lead, and might have gone one-plus yesterday, so for that to happen on the first hitter he faces, that was tough. But real excited with, if this is the end of his season, how he ended it, with really good appearances out of the bullpen.
"Feels good, and his stuff was really good at the end there. So, like I said, it's a big loss for us."
Hyde said it's too early to know whether López will be a starter or reliever in 2022.
"We haven't talked about it yet," he said.
Harvey went on the 10-day injured list in early July with a strained right lat, but the team announced that his move to the 60-day IL is due to a strained right triceps. Harvey allowed four runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning on Sept. 1, his fourth appearance on his rehab assignment.
Today's transaction was done only to remove him from the 40-man. He's been out beyond 60 days and can return anytime.
Matt Harvey is starting Wednesday night and John Means closes the series on Thursday.
The Orioles are flooded with starter options, and Dean Kremer is a possibility to join them later this month. Harvey is getting the ball Wednesday for the 28th time and the club must decide whether to keep him in the rotation down the stretch or use those games to evaluate their prospects.
"We've gone start-to-start with Harvey here for the last four or five starts," Hyde said. "Anything he's given us this second half has been a bonus. He's taken the ball every fifth day, and from the past couple years not pitching much to doing what he's done this year has been amazing. And so he'll start tomorrow and we'll re-evaluate after that."
Trey Mancini and Ramón UrÃas remain out of the lineup but are improving and could be used later tonight. They worked out earlier and hit.
UrÃas keeps heading back to the bench with soreness in his right upper leg.
Mancini said the "general soreness" that Hyde referenced yesterday is located on his right side. He felt a twinge Sunday while facing the Yankees' Corey Kluber and stayed in the game, but didn't want to risk aggravating the oblique and missing the rest of the season.
"I hit a foul ball and felt some discomfort on my right side, oblique area," Mancini said. "I kind of sucked it up. We were banged up that day, so I played the rest of the game, but I woke up yesterday and it was probably even more sore and I had some discomfort, so it's a cause for concern when it's your oblique at this point in the season.
"Luckily, it's feeling better today, but we wanted to take yesterday (off). I treated it all day yesterday and wanted to make sure it was OK, and luckily it feels better today. But yeah, I was a little worried there that at this point in the season it's a three- or four-week thing, so I'd be probably done. But I feel better and I should be good to go here.
"We use 'general soreness,' keeping it in general, but if I'm not playing ever, it's going to be for a good reason, and I think everybody should know that at this point that sometimes we're just a little vague when we say things, for many reasons. But it was a little bit cause for concern. Didn't want my season to end the other day. I want to keep going. We were coming off a great series in New York, and what I thought to be my best series of the season, so the last thing I wanted to do was sit out right after that when I'm feeling good.
"It was tough timing, but I don't think it's anything too serious, so I'm happy about that."
Mancini also fouled a ball off his foot, but he said it's fine.
"Nothing to do with that," he said.
Mancini was aware of the Twitter storm created when former pitcher Kyle Farnsworth targeted an "MLB player" who sat out yesterday because of general soreness. Farnsworth noted how it's September, soreness is common and anyone who can't play through it "shouldn't be playing the sport."
No mention of Mancini's Stage 3 colon cancer and chemotherapy treatments in 2020. Or how Mancini has appeared in 128 games and batted .262/.328/.452 with 29 doubles, a triple, 21 home runs and 66 RBIs. Or how he was runner-up in the Home Run Derby.
The reaction from players, media and fans was predictable.
"I woke up and saw the notifications on Twitter, which I honestly don't go on too much. I saw it was quite a day on there," Mancini said, smiling.
"I'd like to thank the Orioles fans and (Mets pitcher) Marcus Stroman for having my back. It was very much appreciated."
Bruce Zimmermann, on the 60-day injured list with a sprained right ankle, is scheduled to throw in the bullpen in the next couple days.
"He's on track," Hyde said, "but I'm not sure when game action's going to start."
If Zimmermann is able to return, would he be a starter or reliever?
"I think it's possible anybody's a starter or reliever the last few weeks," Hyde said.