Hyde on Mountcastle, Mancini, Nevin, pitching and more

Hyde on Mountcastle, Mancini, Nevin, pitching and more
Ryan Mountcastle made it through yesterday's doubleheader without any physical setbacks, the only negative besides the losses being the five strikeouts in six at-bats. Mountcastle is listed among the reserves this afternoon in Chicago, while Trey Mancini returns to the lineup as the designated hitter. Two players that pass in the day. "His hand's still a little bit sore," manager Brandon Hyde said during his Zoom call with the media. "Proud of him, how he handled yesterday. We kind of...
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Orioles and White Sox lineups

Orioles and White Sox lineups
Trey Mancini has returned to the Orioles lineup this afternoon, batting third as the designated hitter, but Ryan Mountcastle returns to the bench after playing both ends of yesterday's doubleheader. Tyler Nevin is the first baseman, DJ Stewart is in left field and Anthony Santander is in right. Stevie Wilkerson is the second bnaseman. Left-hander Keegan Akin is making his fifth appearance this season and his first start since Sept. 27 in Toronto, when he allowed four runs (two homers) in three...
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Brandon Hyde on Hunter Harvey: "All reports are positive"

Brandon Hyde on Hunter Harvey: "All reports are positive"
The Orioles are expected to reinstate reliever Hunter Harvey from the 60-day injured list on the front portion of a three-team homestand that begins Memorial Day against the Twins. They could choose to give him a fourth appearance on his injury rehab assignment after Friday night's start at Triple-A Norfolk or bring him to Baltimore. Whatever they do, they're going to largely ignore his stats as they might in spring training. Harvey has been charged with three earned runs and five total with...
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Unlikely homer, wasted scoring chance and mistakes doom O's

Unlikely homer, wasted scoring chance and mistakes doom O's
Leave it to the Orioles' luck that on the day John Means starts the second game of a doubleheader, their losing streak reaching 11 games, the opposition sends out a pitcher with a lower ERA. A neat trick, considering how stingy Means is allowing runs. Billy Hamilton, the well-traveled outfielder known for his speed rather than his swing, homered off Means with two outs in the fourth inning, José Abreu hit a two-run shot in the fifth after a cheap two-out single ahead of him and the While...
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O's woes grow with 7-4 loss in Game 1 (updated)

O's woes grow with 7-4 loss in Game 1 (updated)
Games shortened to seven innings aren't capable right now of preventing losing streaks from growing. The Orioles must hope that they don't run out of ideas. Another early lead for the Orioles was erased in rapid fashion today after Freddy Galvis hit the first of his two home runs off White Sox left-hander Dallas Keuchel in the first inning. A single by José Abreu tied the game in the first. A pair of Matt Harvey walks and a wild pitch to open the third were followed by Abreu's two-run...
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Orioles and White Sox Game 1 lineups

Orioles and White Sox Game 1 lineups
Ryan Mountcastle hit on the field today and is in the Game 1 lineup against the White Sox. Mountcastle, who bruised his left hand Tuesday on a hit by pitch, is the designated hitter. "He feels good enough to give it a try," manager Brandon Hyde said on his Zoom call. "Really encouraged by that, give him a lot of credit for understanding our situation and playing banged up. Shows me a lot about him and his character of trying to be a pro. He's still sore, but he's going to try." First...
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Orioles see logic and challenges with short bench

Orioles see logic and challenges with short bench
The idea of a 14-man pitching staff still makes sense during a season with heightened injury concerns. The increase in games and innings endangering the arms. The handling of workloads done with care. Carrying two Rule 5 picks on opening day solidified the logic. Hard to punch holes through it. The complication resides in the trainers' room. Keeping nine relievers on a 26-man roster allows for only a three-man bench and the Orioles have found themselves stripped down to the extra...
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Positive updates on Mancini, Mountcastle (game postponed)

Positive updates on Mancini, Mountcastle (game postponed)
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde passed along good news this afternoon on Trey Mancini and Ryan Mountcastle, who could be ready to play over the weekend while recovering from their respective injuries. Mancini left last night's game in the first inning after being hit on the right elbow by Dylan Cease's 95 mph fastball. X-rays and exams were negative and Mancini sustained only a bruise. "We dodged a bullet with Mancini," Hyde said in his Zoom call with the media. "He's feeling a lot better....
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Orioles recall Nevin and option Waddell (updated)

Orioles recall Nevin and option Waddell (updated)
The Orioles have brought Triple-A Norfolk corner infielder Tyler Nevin to Chicago for tonight's game against the White Sox and he's expected to be placed on the active roster. The club is short on healthy first basemen with Ryan Mountcastle taking a 93 mph fastball off his left hand Tuesday and Trey Mancini being struck in the right elbow last night by a 95 mph fastball. Mountcastle has been day-to-day, deemed unavailable again last night after taking some swings in the cage. Pat Valaika...
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Grayson Rodriguez joining Double-A Bowie

Grayson Rodriguez joining Double-A Bowie
Grayson Rodriguez was destined to pass through Aberdeen. Five dominant starts became his limit. The Orioles are promoting Rodriguez, their top pitching prospect, from the Single-A IronBirds to Double-A Bowie. Rodriguez, the 11th overall selection in the 2018 draft, is the organization's No. 2 prospect per MLBPipeline.com. He threw 23 1/3 innings with Aberdeen, which moved to full-season status in 2021, and allowed only four runs and 11 hits with five walks and 40 strikeouts. Rodriguez is 13-6...
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Mancini leaves early and losing streak lengthens (updated)

Mancini leaves early and losing streak lengthens (updated)
Austin Hays is on the injured list again with a strained hamstring. Ryan Mountcastle is day-to-day with a bruised hand. And now there's Trey Mancini, drilled on the right elbow tonight and unable to stay in the game after making a couple of throws across the infield in the bottom of the first inning. Aren't the losses bringing enough pain? How much more are the Orioles supposed to endure? They didn't need to watch Mancini collapse to the ground, grimacing with forehead planted in the dirt,...
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Finding the good during another down period

Finding the good during another down period
The Orioles tend to create a reflex action of eyes darting to the farm system in search of anything positive. A No. 5 ranking is a vision of loveliness during an unsightly rebuild. However, there are individual stories on the major league club that shouldn't be treated as if invisible. And it's good for the soul to embrace them. Three examples immediately came to mind yesterday. With arms wide open. Of course, the first baseman getting drilled on the right elbow last night by a 95 mph...
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Orioles and White Sox lineups (updated)

Orioles and White Sox lineups (updated)
The Orioles are back to having 26 players on their active roster after reinstating reliever Dillon Tate from the injured list this afternoon. Tate was on the IL with a strained left hamstring. He threw a spotless inning Tuesday night with Triple-A Norfolk in his only rehab game, striking out one batter and throwing only nine pitches. The roster had an opening after the Orioles optioned starter Dean Kremer to Norfolk yesterday morning. "I'm happy to have Dillon back because Dillon's a guy...
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Hanifee undergoes elbow surgery (updated)

Hanifee undergoes elbow surgery (updated)
Orioles minor league pitcher Brenan Hanifee, a fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft out of Turner-Ashby High School in Virginia, underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstructive surgery on his right elbow yesterday in Dallas. The team announced that the procedure was "successful." Dr. Keith Meister performed the surgery. Meister handled the same procedure in October on pitcher Carter Baumler, a fifth-round selection in 2020 out of Dowling Catholic High School in Iowa, and repaired pitcher...
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Elias on bullpen changes, pitching plans and the draft

Elias on bullpen changes, pitching plans and the draft
Trey Mancini hopped on a Zoom call after a recent loss and spoke about the frustrating nature of a team that can't get "synced up." His words coming after the Orioles scored six runs and allowed 13. Plenty of offense and no pitching to support it. It also works in reverse. Starter Jorge López completed six innings yesterday for the first time since Sept. 19, 2020. A quality start produced by someone besides John Means. Relievers Shawn Armstrong and Tanner Scott combined to retire all six...
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Orioles hold one-run lead as Elias preaches patience (O's lose 3-2)

Orioles hold one-run lead as Elias preaches patience (O's lose 3-2)
The Orioles made their latest concession with a young player prior to today's game in Minnesota, optioning starter Dean Kremer to focus again on his development. They returned outfielder Austin Hays to the injured list. They kept Ryan Mountcastle out of the lineup with a bruised hand and carried a two-man bench. The goal was to end a losing streak that grew to eight games, but the importance of the big picture trumped everything. And the pains sharpen during the process. No one promised...
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Hyde on Kremer's demotion, Mountcastle's hand and more

Hyde on Kremer's demotion, Mountcastle's hand and more
Left-hander Keegan Akin is replacing Dean Kremer in the Orioles rotation, which gives him Sunday afternoon's start against the White Sox in Chicago. Akin allowed two runs last night in three relief innings. He has a 6.10 ERA and 1.258 WHIP in four appearances over 10 1/3 innings, with only one walk and 10 strikeouts. Akin hasn't started for the Orioles since Sept. 27, 2020 in Toronto, when he surrendered four runs in three innings. Manager Brandon Hyde explained today's decision to option...
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Orioles put Hays on injured list and option Kremer

Orioles put Hays on injured list and option Kremer
Outfielder Austin Hays has gone on the injured list for a second time with a hamstring injury and the Orioles recalled Ryan McKenna from Triple-A Norfolk as they close out their series in Minnesota. Hays injured his right hamstring during the third game of the season in Boston. He experienced tightness in the left one following Sunday's game in D.C. Hays is batting .252/.319/.455 with six doubles, two triples, five home runs and 15 RBIs in 32 games. The Orioles optioned pitcher Dean Kremer to...
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More thoughts on managing the bullpen

More thoughts on managing the bullpen
John Means didn't leave the bullpen many innings to cover Monday night in Minnesota. He worked through the seventh, trailing only because of two solo home runs and an offense that short-circuited with men in scoring position. The game never carried into the bottom of the ninth. The bullpen was responsible only for the eighth, unexpectedly given a lead and coughing up six runs in a demoralizing 8-3 loss. Manager Brandon Hyde wasn't going to use his most effective reliever, left-hander Paul...
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Orioles lose lead in second inning and eighth game in a row

Orioles lose lead in second inning and eighth game in a row
The topic probably didn't come up tonight during assistant pitching coach Darren Holmes' visit to the mound in the second inning, but Dean Kremer's lengthy stay on it threatened to get a beleaguered bullpen busy. Wheels in motion with the possibility of having them come off again. Kremer surrendered two runs, and a walk following his conversation with Holmes loaded the bases with one out. The pitch count was skyrocketing, reaching 54 by the time he made it back to the dugout. Two wild...
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