Orioles select contract of Jay Flaa (updated)

Orioles select contract of Jay Flaa (updated)
A fifth Orioles player is poised to make his major league debut this month. The Orioles selected the contract of right-handed reliever Jay Flaa from the alternate training site this afternoon and optioned left-hander Zac Lowther to the Bowie complex. The Orioles wanted a fresh bullpen arm to begin their four-game series against the Yankees. Lowther pitched the ninth inning yesterday. Flaa's stay could be short. Dean Kremer is eligible to return on Wednesday and a spot must be cleared for...
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Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees
Ryan Mountcastle has been lowered to seventh in tonight's lineup with the Orioles beginning a four-game series against the Yankees at Camden Yards. Mountcastle is in a 1-for-27 slump. He hadn't hit below sixth this season. DJ Stewart is batting third and playing right field. Austin Hays is in left field and hitting fifth. Rio Ruiz is on the bench against a right-hander. Ramón Urías gets the start at second base. Cedric Mullins' 28 hits are the most in by an Orioles center fielder in...
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Lowther latest example of Orioles' willingness to skip Triple-A

Lowther latest example of Orioles' willingness to skip Triple-A
Putting aside the Adley Rutschman obsession for a moment, which I understand is like sliding your hands underneath a cruise ship and telling a friend to "grab the other end," the Orioles are showing a willingness in the right circumstances to push a prospect further than expected. The key is figuring out those circumstances. To read the situation. Ryan McKenna is on the active roster again despite his complete lack of Triple-A experience. He started in right field yesterday and singled, and...
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Means dominates and Lowther debuts in 8-1 win (updated)

Means dominates and Lowther debuts in 8-1 win (updated)
Zac Lowther sat in the Orioles bullpen this afternoon and waited for the phone to ring. A second call in less than 24 hours that would thrill him. That would allow a fourth player on the club to make his major league debut in less than a month. The fly in the ointment was a former All-Star pitcher who's the undisputed ace of the staff. A starter who didn't need a reliever to provide length. John Means was dealing again. Austin Hays was destroying fastballs. Lowther wasn't debuting until the...
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More on Lowther's promotion to the Orioles

More on Lowther's promotion to the Orioles
Zac Lowther is in the bullpen this afternoon as the Orioles close out their series against the Athletics. Whether he stays there, and with the Orioles, can't be answered today. The Orioles recalled Lowther from the alternate training site in Bowie for a specific purpose this afternoon. "The need for somebody who can give us multiple innings," manager Brandon Hyde said in his Zoom call with the media. "And Zac being on roster, throwing the ball well at the alternate site, having a good...
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Orioles lineup vs. Athletics (updated)

Orioles lineup vs. Athletics (updated)
The Orioles have sent out today's lineup ahead of their roster move, with left-hander Zac Lowther joining them from the alternate training site in Bowie and veteran lefty Wade LeBlanc being designated for assignment. The transaction will be announced shortly. Update: It was just announced. Lowther is wearing No. 59 and waiting to make his major league debut. Lowther will be in the bullpen this afternoon as the Orioles try to avoid a sweep and the Athletics attempt to run their winning streak...
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Where will Orioles turn for offensive jolt?

Where will Orioles turn for offensive jolt?
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde didn't offer a long-term endorsement yesterday for the current group of hitters on the roster. You don't make promises while an offense keeps stalling. Reasons are highlighted, such as players pressing to be "the guy," as Hyde said, and the expansion of the strike zone. "We just have a lot of guys that are trying to make up for the start of the year with one at-bat," Hyde said via Zoom, "and that's not how it works." Many of the roster moves this month have...
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Rain falls before Orioles do in 7-2 loss (Lowther joining O's)

Rain falls before Orioles do in 7-2 loss (Lowther joining O's)
The Orioles are recalling pitching prospect Zac Lowther from the alternate training site in Bowie, according to an industry source, and he'll be available in the bullpen for Sunday afternoon's series finale against the Athletics. Wade LeBlanc, who started tonight, will be designated for assignment to create roster space. Lowther, who turns 25 on Friday, is the No. 11 prospect in the system, according to MLBPipeline.com, and he's on the verge of making his major league debut. The Orioles...
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Akin unavailable to pitch after receiving stitches in finger

Akin unavailable to pitch after receiving stitches in finger
Orioles pitcher Keegan Akin lost his chance to come back to the majors for a spot start after cutting his left index finger in a kitchen accident that required stitches. Manager Brandon Hyde confirmed the injury earlier today in his Zoom call with the media. Wade LeBlanc got the assignment tonight with Akin unavailable as an option. Hyde said Akin sliced the finger after breakfast. "He's got stitches for a week to 10 days," Hyde said. "It was somebody that we would have probably considered...
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Orioles lineup vs. Athletics

Orioles lineup vs. Athletics
Left-hander Wade LeBlanc is making tonight's start against the Athletics at Camden Yards, his first in 2021 after five relief appearances. LeBlanc hasn't thrown more than 24 pitches or exceeded 1 1/3 innings since the Orioles broke camp. There's going to be some baton passing, perhaps in the rain. In 10 career appearances against the Athletics, LeBlanc has gone 3-1 with a 4.40 ERA and 1.234 WHIP in 47 innings. DJ Stewart is in right field again tonight and Austin Hays is starting in left....
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Because You Asked - Saturday Night Cleaver

Because You Asked - Saturday Night Cleaver
If I've been negligent in sorting through my "mailbag," as I like to call it. That's because it was accidentally sent to the alternate blogging site in Bowie. Perhaps there was no need for a fifth mailbag with multiple off-days this week. I don't really know. But what's important here is that I'm ready to tackle more questions. Welcome to the latest sequel to this classic original. You ask 'em, I answer 'em and someone else asks again as if the subject is untapped. We laugh, we cry, we...
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López labors early as Orioles lose 3-1 (updated)

López labors early as Orioles lose 3-1 (updated)
The first time through the order became treacherous territory for Orioles starter Jorge López. As if he decided to go off script for the "Moneyball" sequel. Lopez hadn't allowed a run in three starts until turning over the lineup, but five of nine Oakland batters reached tonight and created an early deficit that the Orioles never made up in a 3-1 loss before an announced crowd of 7,574. Ramón Laureano led off the fifth by homering into the visiting bullpen, the final batter for...
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Updating rotation plans and more

Updating rotation plans and more
The Orioles are pushing back John Means to Sunday afternoon against the Athletics and waiting until later tonight to choose Saturday's starter. The options are a bullpen game or recalling a pitcher from the alternate training site in Bowie. "Just going to give John an extra day," manager Brandon Hyde said today in his Zoom call. Means will get a full week with his most recent outing Sunday against the Rangers. Normal rest would have put him on the mound tonight, but the Orioles had two...
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Orioles and Athletics lineups (updated)

Orioles and Athletics lineups (updated)
Austin Hays in the right fielder tonight, DJ Stewart is in left and Ryan Mountcastle is the designated hitter as the Orioles begin their homestand against the Athletics. Trey Mancini is the first baseman and Maikel Franco is in the cleanup spot. Ramón Urías gets the start at second base. Jorge López retired the first 11 Rangers batters with seven strikeouts in his last start. He's allowed seven runs and nine hits in 7 2/3 career innings against the Athletics. Oakland left-hander Cole...
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Wondering how rotation works through the weekend

Wondering how rotation works through the weekend
The Orioles are back to work tonight, moving past multiple breaks in the schedule this week and beginning a stretch of seven games in a row at home and six straight on the West Coast. A pause in the middle would have made more sense, but the Orioles play when they're told. The weekend starters are unsettled. Jorge López goes tonight, but the Orioles are TBD for the next two games. Dean Kremer was optioned, but left-hander John Means should be starting Saturday on an extra days' rest. Matt...
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This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Orioles closed out their road trip yesterday with the bullpen tossing 3 1/3 scoreless innings. One inherited runner crossed the plate in a 3-0 loss to the Marlins. Relievers began the day with a 3.55 ERA that ranked sixth in the American League and eighth in the majors. Opponents were batting .228. They left Miami with the ERA down to 3.38. Cole Sulser was responsible for the inherited runner scoring on Adam Duvall's two-out single, but he hasn't allowed a run of his own in 4 1/3 innings...
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Zimmermann falters in fifth and Orioles fall 3-0 (updated)

Zimmermann falters in fifth and Orioles fall 3-0 (updated)
Orioles catcher Pedro Severino and manager Brandon Hyde gave rookie pitcher Bruce Zimmermann the same encouraging, and perhaps consoling, pat on the backside today - in rapid succession as if rehearsed - after he handed over the baseball and turned toward the dugout. Zimmermann sat on the bench expressionless in the fifth inning, staring straight ahead, as captured by the MASN cameras. He could have been thinking about the elevated fastball that Jesús Aguilar lined into left-center field for...
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Santander placed on 10-day injured list, McKenna recalled again

Santander placed on 10-day injured list, McKenna recalled again
The Orioles placed outfielder Anthony Santander on the 10-day injured list this morning with a sprained left ankle and recalled rookie Ryan McKenna from the alternate training site. McKenna never left the team after yesterday's option. He's back on the active roster and in right field today in Miami after Santander injured the ankle last night while going back to first base on a pickoff attempt. X-rays and a later MRI were negative, with no fracture in the ankle. But Hyde said this type of...
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Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
The Orioles get Austin Hays back on the roster yesterday and lose Anthony Santander a few hours later. Two players just trying to make it through a season healthy. Neither injury is regarded as serious. Hays had a mild right hamstring strain, Santander sprained his left ankle. Hays knew he'd go on the injured list, but wouldn't miss much time. Santander had to be carried off the field, which suggested a possible break or torn tendon. A sprain is cause for celebration. Especially after X-rays...
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Santander leaves tonight's game with injury (O's win 7-5)

Santander leaves tonight's game with injury (O's win 7-5)
The wealth of outfielders on the Orioles roster took an unfortunate and potentially serious hit tonight in the first inning. It barely had time to evolve. Anthony Santander appeared to roll his left ankle while getting back to the bag on an attempted pickoff throw from Marlins starter Nick Neidert. Santander jammed his foot, collapsed in the dirt and pounded a fist into it as the pain radiated through his leg. Head athletic trainer Brian Ebel and manager Brandon Hyde lifted Santander and...
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