The Orioles made a series of roster moves this afternoon, selecting outfielder Kyle Stowers’ contract from Triple-A Norfolk and recalling infielder Richie Martin and left-hander Nick Vespi.

Outfielder Brett Phillips was designated for assignment, infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra went on the paternity list, and reliever Logan Gillaspie was optioned to Norfolk.

Stowers made his major league debut in June while the Orioles were in Toronto, serving as a substitute player due to Anthony Santander’s previous vaccination status, and he went 1-for-7 with a double, RBI and four strikeouts. He’s batting .264/.357/.527 with 29 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs, 78 RBIs, 45 walks and 104 strikeouts in 407 plate appearances with Norfolk.

MLBPipeline.com ranks Stowers as the No. 9 prospect in the system, and Baseball America has him 11th. He leads the organization in home runs and RBIs, and is tied with infielder Jordan Westburg for first in doubles.

Phillips, acquired from the Rays at the trade deadline for cash considerations, was 2-for-17 with two doubles and nine strikeouts.

Terrin Vavra didn’t work out at first base yesterday, his early reps coming in right field before playing his first major league game on that side. Infield instructor Tony Mansolino might get his pupil back on Friday. Other lessons waiting for the rookie.

The Orioles came to Vavra last week with the idea of shifting some of his work to first base. The initial set of ground balls were hit Sunday morning at Tropicana Field, and the club has integrated cutoffs, relays, double plays, bunt plays, pickoffs and short hops.  

“Just trying to familiarize me with it in the event that there’s an opportunity and be ready for it,” Vavra said.

“The game’s the game. It’s just where you’re standing out there. There’s little things that come with time and experience playing each position, but I like to think that I can handle the situation pretty good and give my best effort and do a pretty good job anywhere.”

Trey Mancini’s trade to the Astros has caused the Orioles to sort through their options, and creating new ones, in case of injury.

The Orioles are in a pennant race and the offense has a disturbing tendency to slow to a crawl.

No baserunners for eight innings Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla., none for six innings yesterday in Toronto. Two runs total in the losses.

Cedric Mullins had the first Orioles hit this afternoon with a two-out triple in the third inning, and Cubs starter Adrian Sampson didn’t allow another until Austin Hays doubled with one out in the fifth and was thrown out at the plate.

The pressure on the starters and bullpen intensifies. Austin Voth tossed six scoreless innings yesterday, and Spenser Watkins blanked the Cubs today for 5 1/3 before Willson Contreras homered.

Contreras homered again off Joey Krehbiel in the eighth inning, and the Orioles were on the verge of being shut out for the eighth time this season. They took advantage of two walks in the bottom half to score twice, but the Cubs held on for a 3-2 win before an announced crowd of 19,454 at Camden Yards.

Rookie Terrin Vavra is making his fourth start in the outfield this afternoon, and his first in right.

Vavra keeps moving around, with three starts in left field and two at second base. He’s served as the designated hitter in six games.

The Orioles like his versatility, but also want his bat in the lineup. Vavra is slashing .297/.391/.378 with a double, triple, seven RBIs and seven walks in 46 plate appearances.

“He’s been out there a couple times. Not right field here, obviously, but in the outfield. I thought he’s looked comfortable, did a nice job,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“We have some really good outfielders that, I’ve taken him out with a lead to get guys with some more experience out there. That might happen again. But he’s going to at least get some at-bats in and get some work out there. I know he feels comfortable, so excited to have him be so versatile and do a lot of things for us.”

The Orioles return home today after going 3-4 on their three-city road trip.

Yesterday’s 6-1 loss in Toronto left the Orioles 1 ½ games back for the third wild card spot. The Twins moved past them and are one game behind.

Today’s game is a makeup from a June 8 rainout. The Orioles won the previous night 9-3.

Terrin Vavra is in right field today, with Anthony Santander used again as the designated hitter.

Ramón Urías is batting fifth and playing third base. Adley Rutschman is behind the plate.

While the Orioles keep working out Terrin Vavra at first base before games, the drills beginning Sunday at Tropicana Field, they’ve got shortstop Gunnar Henderson doing the same with Triple-A Norfolk. Taking ground balls, making throws from a new angle.

Henderson is expected to receive some starts at first base this week, perhaps today against the Durham Bulls at Harbor Park.

To get Henderson comfortable at the position would assist the Orioles with roster flexibility if his contract is selected. They’re searching for left-handed options, particularly as injury insurance.

Henderson has started at shortstop and third base as a professional and played five innings at second base last summer with Single-A Aberdeen.  First base is new to him.

This doesn’t signal that Henderson definitely is coming up in 2022. It’s a daily conversation within the organization, and the strikeouts – 62 compared to 32 walks in 53 games with Norfolk before last night – offer a reason to wait.

The Orioles will attempt to sweep the Blue Jays this afternoon, winning five straight games against their division rivals and perhaps take sole possession of the third wild card spot.

They would move past Toronto for third place in the American League East.

To review: the Orioles have won 10 of the last 14 games, 12 of 18 and 26 of 37. They’re 25-27 against division opponents after going 20-56 last season.

A victory today would move the Orioles seven games above .500 for the first time since May 22, 2017. They’ve been six over on three occasions this season.

Adley Rutschman and Terrin Vavra are on the bench today.

Two straight losses to the Rays and a pending trip to Toronto were supposed to finally break the Orioles. The skeptics keep circling the dates for the club’s demise. Waiting for players to start turning into pumpkins.

Well, here they are, a half-game behind the Blue Jays for the last wild card spot and having a chance at a sweep.

The Orioles have won five consecutive games against the Jays in the same season for the first time since 1994. They won a road series against them for the first time since July 2019.

They totaled five wins over the Jays in 2021, one fewer than this year.

Overall, the Orioles have won 10 of the last 14 games, 12 of 18 and 26 of 37. They’re 25-27 against division opponents after going 20-56 last season.

The Orioles won the series opener last night against the Blue Jays in Toronto, and they’re 1 ½ games back for the second and third wild card spots.

They’ve gone 5-2 against the Blue Jays this season, including four wins in a row for the first time since Sept. 28, 2016-April 14, 2017, and for the first time in a single season since Aug, 7-Sept. 17, 2014.

The Orioles haven’t won five straight games in one season against the Jays since May 9-June 26, 1994.

Ryan Mountcastle homered again last night, giving him five against Toronto this season and 14 for his career. He’s the cleanup hitter again tonight.

Austin Hays is out of the lineup. Ryan McKenna, who had a career-high three hits last night, is batting ninth and playing right field.

Since gambling is becoming so tightly attached to Major League Baseball that it’s almost cutting off the circulation, with advertisements running every half inning, coming at us faster than Rickey Henderson in his prime, it’s fitting to point out that the Orioles are playing with house money.

They weren’t supposed to be above .500 in the middle of August or to be chasing the wild card, holding the third position for a brief period over the weekend. After earning the first pick in the draft, tying the Diamondbacks for the worst record? No way.

To ask, “why not?” would risk exposure to an hour-long lecture.

John Means’ season-ending elbow surgery didn’t create this perception. It existed before he received his scar.

They followed two straight losses at Tropicana Field with last night’s 7-3 win in Toronto. It was so Orioles. Just when you think they’re out, they pull themselves back in.

The Orioles walked away from one important series and stepped into another, with three games against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Yesterday’s loss to the Rays left the Orioles 1 ½ games away from the third wild card spot. The Twins and White Sox are a half-game behind them.

The Blue Jays are 35-23 at home. They’re 2-4 against the Orioles this season, splitting a four-game series in Toronto in June.

Ryan Mountcastle has returned to the lineup after sitting out yesterday’s game with a swollen left hand. He’s 12-for-25 with four doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs against the Blue Jays this season, and is a career .361/.414/.730 hitter with six doubles, 13 home runs and 26 RBIs in 31 games.

Cedric Mullins is on the bench, with Ryan McKenna leading off and playing center field.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – DL Hall confirmed what the Orioles already knew but had a chance to see with their own eyes.

His final line didn’t factor into it. Wasn't important in the grand scheme.

Hall is the second-best pitching prospect in the system, ranked among the top 100 in baseball, and his bosses were able to project his capabilities at the highest level.

His stuff will play here.

“One hundred percent, yeah. No doubt about it,” said Chris Holt, the club’s pitching coach and director of pitching.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Brett Phillips, a folk hero among Rays fans, lined a ball up the middle today in the sixth inning that constituted actual hard contact against Drew Rasmussen. Except that second baseman Yu Chang was playing close to the bag, handled the hop and recorded the final out.

The last real chance, it appeared, for the Orioles to get a baserunner.

The last chance, it seemed, to prevent a crucial series from turning historic.

Six perfect innings by Rasmussen led to two more, but Jorge Mateo lined the first pitch of the ninth down the left field line for a double in Tampa Bay's 4-1 victory over the Orioles at Tropicana Field.

The Orioles have been no-hit seven times, but they've never been victims of a perfect game. This one was real close.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde sounded confident today that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle would avoid the injured list after being hit yesterday on the left hand.

Mountcastle is receiving treatment to reduce the swelling. The hand was wrapped this morning.

“His hand’s pretty sore from getting hit there yesterday, kind of in a tender spot, so hopefully he’s available to hit. Not really sure at this point,” Hyde said.

“I don’t think it’s an IL situation. I think it’s more day-to-day. Hopefully, he feels better as the day goes on today after getting some treatment, but we’ll see.”

DL Hall remains with the club today before rejoining Triple-A Norfolk and beginning the switch to a relief role. Hall allowed five runs and five hits with three walks and six strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings in his major league debut.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles will try again today to win their first series against the Rays at Tropicana Field since 2017.

Ryan Mountcastle is out of the lineup after former Orioles reliever Jimmy Yacabonis drilled him on the left hand yesterday in the ninth inning. Mountcastle swung a bat and played catch this morning, and had the hand wrapped in ice again later.

“It’s sore, swollen, but I’m going to try to work, I guess,” he said. “Hopefully, I can get out there and play, but as of right now it doesn’t really feel great, but try to work it out.

“Hopefully, I can get in there today, but we’ll see. … In the morning it felt about the same as it did right after. Yeah, doesn’t feel great.”

Manager Brandon Hyde said Mountcastle is day-to-day.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The elevation of DL Hall to the majors yesterday isn’t as interesting as his immediate demotion after the game.

Hall made a spot start for the Orioles in an 8-2 loss to the Rays. The exact definition of the term. But he didn’t plug a temporary hole in the rotation, which is the usual excuse.

The Orioles had that spot covered with veteran Jordan Lyles, who’s pushed back to today. Spenser Watkins would have started the series finale, but he worked in relief yesterday and is expected to be on hold until Thursday’s makeup game against the Cubs.

Hall came up to get acclimated to life in the majors, a brief but important taste. To get his feet wet. And they didn’t have time to dry before he was packing for a return trip to Triple-A Norfolk.

I get the sense that Hall knew this was a one-and-done. That the plan was explained to him. He wasn’t blindsided by it.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – DL Hall had plenty of company this afternoon while warming in the visiting bullpen area at Tropicana Field. He attracted the entire pitching staff, plus injured starter Tyler Wells. Forming a line next to him that curved into the outfield grass, then straightening it from mound to plate like it’s usually done in the infield after wins.

Hall hugged catcher Robinson Chirinos, turned, and made his way up the line to receive high-fives and pats from his teammates. The No. 4 prospect in the organization entering his major league debut and a culture that welcomes newcomers like old friends.

He’s one of them. And will remain so after the Orioles optioned him this afternoon.

An inning in an exhibition game was followed today by Hall’s major league debut against the Rays. The heat of a pennant race felt inside an air-conditioned dome.

Hall lasted 3 2/3 innings and allowed five runs and five hits in an 8-2 loss to the Rays. He walked three batters and struck out six, and manager Brandon Hyde removed him at 76 pitches.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Orioles reliever Keegan Akin saw DL Hall at the team hotel last night and decided it was an ideal opportunity to counsel the rookie. Offer advice prior to a major league debut today that’s attracting a tremendous amount of hype.

Happens with elite pitching prospects. They don’t sneak into town.

“I’ve already talked to him and helped him through a little bit,” Akin said. “He said it didn’t really hit him last night. I said, ‘It’s going to hit you tomorrow morning when you wake up, or it’s going to hit you when you go to walk on the field and start warming up.’ I just told him, ‘You’ve got to stay calm and keep yourself and your emotions under control, just because that’s what’s going to be the hardest to control, and that can get a little squirrely sometimes on the mound and be all over the place.’

“I told him to just lock it in. Nothing’s different up here. He still has the same stuff as he did coming up through the system, and it’s electric stuff and I’m excited for him to be here. I think he can contribute a lot to this team.”

Jordan Lyles is a former first-round pick with 12 years in the majors. He also can be a resource for Hall.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Left-hander DL Hall is making his major league debut this afternoon, and the Orioles are attempting to win a fifth consecutive series as part of their amazing turnaround.

Hall joined the active roster this morning, with reliever Nick Vespi optioned again to Triple-A Norfolk. Hall, the No. 4 prospect in the organization per MLBPipeline.com and Baseball America, is the 54^th player used by the Orioles this season.

He's wearing No. 49.

Spenser Watkins is available in the bullpen and is expected to start Thursday’s makeup game against the Cubs at Camden Yards.

The Orioles want to transition Hall into a relief role after today’s outing, which could begin with Norfolk. Hall is expected to be in the Orioles’ bullpen in September after rosters expand. To be decided is how they get him to that point.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A deep dive into the wild card chase always felt like more of a surface story about the Orioles. Here’s where they sit in the standings. Here’s the latest from the rotation, bullpen and lineup. Here’s the latest double play turned by the defense.

Here’s a team finally ready to launch after a teardown that started halfway through the 2018 season, a new set of hands completing it and beginning the rebuild.

More games have been won than lost, which is shocking, and the electricity is restored at Camden Yards. But the major league club hasn’t consumed every molecule of attention. Maybe in some other cities, but not Baltimore.

Catcher Adley Rutschman finally gets promoted on May 21, breaking up an intense media and fan stakeout – separate vehicles, of course – and the watch shifts to pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.

Rodriguez is on the verge of making his debut and goes on the injured list with a Grade 2 lat strain. He’s monitored from afar, with September now the target month to get him back into games. Whether with the Orioles or Triple-A Norfolk.