Rain began falling again tonight in the bottom of the sixth inning, threatening to form more puddles on the track and bring a second delay. Conditions that normally aren’t ideal for cycling. But in the baseball sense, they worked just fine for Orioles outfielder Austin Hays.

Hays lined a double into left-center field off Nationals reliever Steve Cishek to become the sixth Orioles player to hit for the cycle and the first since Jonathan Villar in 2019.

Two runs scored on the play, and Hays touched the plate on Trey Mancini’s two-run shot to left field.

Tyler Nevin raced home on Hays’ double with a big smile on his face. He knew.

Hays reached second base, raised both arms and looked up as the rain pelted his face, smiled and did the binoculars gesture to the dugout. He knew.

The Orioles are listing three of their four starters for the upcoming series in Chicago. Saturday afternoon remains wide open and is largely dependent on how manager Brandon Hyde uses his bullpen.

Austin Voth could get the ball again after starting Sunday against the Rays as a last-minute replacement for Jordan Lyles, who was scratched due to a stomach virus. Voth threw 41 pitches in 2 2/3 scoreless innings and could be stretched out for a longer outing.

“Voth made that spot start for us the other day and did a great job,” Hyde said today. “He is a possibility, but I might use him Thursday or Friday, also, and then he’s not a possibility. We’re going to kind of wait until last minute on this one and go from there.”

Spenser Watkins is starting tonight for Triple-A Norfolk but is expected to be removed early, keeping him as an option for Saturday. Denyi Reyes is the third possibility.

Watkins may go only one inning tonight.

Cedric Mullins is out of the lineup tonight as the Orioles conclude their two-game series against the Nationals and prepare for their next road trip.

Austin Hays is in center field and leading off. Trey Mancini is in right field and Anthony Santander is starting in left.

Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter against Washington left-hander Patrick Corbin.

Rutschman has reached base in nine of his last 10 games since June 10, slashing .306/.359/.556 (11-for-36) with six doubles, a home run, four RBIs, three walks and six runs scored in that span.

Tyler Nevin is playing third base and Richie Martin is at second.

Austin Hays isn’t tracking the All-Star voting. He didn’t know that the first updates became available yesterday, or that he sat 19^th among outfielders in the American League.

The shoulders didn’t shrug, but his enthusiasm level was fairly low.

Hays would be honored to represent the Orioles at Dodger Stadium. He’s just preoccupied with trying to help them win the games that count.

“I hadn’t seen anything about it,” he said. “I’m just showing up, trying to play every day. I think we’ve got, what, three weeks until All-Star break? So, that’s a lot of games, a lot of baseball left. A lot can happen, a lot of numbers can change in that amount of time. I’ll just focus on that once it gets here.”

Hays, a third-round draft pick in 2016 out of Jacksonville University, received 128,430 votes by yesterday’s count. The Yankees' Aaron Judge led every player in the majors with 1,512,368.

The stomach bug that knocked down Jordan Lyles Sunday didn’t keep the veteran on his back. Lyles spoke with manager Brandon Hyde the following day, reporting that he felt much better, and showed up this morning ready to pitch.

Hyde could have given Lyles a little more recovery time, but he decided it would really benefit Tyler Wells to get an extra day of rest.

That’s how Hyde settled on the order of his rotation for the Nationals series, sending Lyles to the mound tonight with the Orioles trying to post their fifth win in seven games.

Lyles completed six innings for the first time in five starts and turned in 6 1/3 on 92 pitches. He surrendered only two runs, the offense produced fewer, and the Nationals won 3-0 before an announced crowd of 15,197 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles (30-39) failed again to creep within seven games of .500 for the first time since May 23.

Rylan Bannon checked all the boxes for the Orioles when they searched for a position player to insert into their active roster after optioning pitcher Mike Baumann over the weekend.

“There’s a lot of reasons,” manager Brandon Hyde said today. “One, he’s on the 40-man. An extra infielder. We’re feeling pretty comfortable where we are outfield-wise. We just wanted to add an extra infielder in case of something happening.

“Rylan’s been showing some recent power there in Norfolk, swung the bat fairly well, and gives us a bat off the bench.”

Bannon led the International League in slugging percentage (.906) and OPS (1.424) last week. He homered in three of his last six games.

Today marks Bannon’s second tour with the Orioles, who recalled him in St. Louis. He didn’t know whether they’d bring him back this week.

Trey Mancini is back in the Orioles’ lineup tonight as the designated hitter for the series opener against the Nationals at Camden Yards.

Mancini didn’t play Sunday against the Rays due to some lingering soreness in his right hand.

Adley Rutschman is catching and batting sixth. Tyler Nevin is the third baseman.

Rougned Odor is starting at second base, as he usually does against a right-hander.

Rylan Bannon, recalled today from Triple-A Norfolk, is counted among the four reserves. Bannon led the International League in slugging (.906) and OPS (1.424) last week.

The Orioles have recalled infielder Rylan Bannon from Triple-A Norfolk to expand their bench to four players for tonight’s series opener against the Nationals at Camden Yards.

Bannon made his major league debut while the Orioles were in St. Louis and went 2-for-14 in four games before they optioned him. He was batting .232/.358/.416 in 221 plate appearances with the Tides and homered in three of his last six games, also driving in eight runs.

Acquired from the Dodgers in the 2018 Manny Machado trade, Bannon has posted a .450 on-base percentage and .578 slugging percentage this month.

Jordan Lyles has been cleared to make tonight’s start after a stomach virus forced him to miss Sunday’s game against the Rays.

Lyles will attempt to complete the sixth inning for the first time in five starts. He’s made 11 career appearances against the Nationals, including three starts, and registered a 6.35 ERA and 1.412 WHIP in 28 1/3 innings.

The Orioles will begin tonight’s game against the Nationals with a four-man bench after they bring up a player from Triple-A Norfolk.

An extra outfielder. An extra infielder. Probably not third catcher, though it’s less risky to put Adley Rutschman and Robinson Chirinos in the same lineup.

Infielder Jonathan Araúz would make sense as an extra utility player, but he hasn’t been in the minors for the minimum 10 days after the Orioles selected him off waivers from the Red Sox Wednesday afternoon.

Infielder Rylan Bannon makes sense and there's nothing holding him back.

The 40-man roster is full. A spot could be opened by transferring reliever Travis Lakins Sr. onto the 60-man injured list, where he’d join John Means, Chris Ellis and Alexander Wells.

Reliever Mike Baumann has been optioned for a third time.

The Orioles sent Baumann to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game, meeting today’s noon deadline for teams to trim pitching staffs to 13.

Major League Baseball is limiting the number of pitchers, leaving 13 position players on the roster until Sept. 1. The Orioles must make a corresponding move before Tuesday night’s game against the Nationals at Camden Yards.

Per the new collective bargaining agreement, teams can’t option a player more than five times after May 2 or he’s exposed to waivers. Baumann has been optioned twice during this period.

Baumann tossed a scoreless inning yesterday against the Rays, allowing two hits and striking out a batter. He broke camp with the Orioles but hasn’t avoided the shuttle, appearing in seven games and allowing six earned runs (seven total) with 13 hits, six walks and nine strikeouts in 12 innings.

Yesterday’s 2-1 win over the Rays was just so … Orioles.

The bad news about starter Jordan Lyles, scratched in the morning with a stomach virus. An unsavory bullpen game. Trey Mancini’s removal from the lineup with more hand soreness.

So many reasons to fold, so much stubbornness.

They should've lost to a team that beat them in 18 of 19 games in 2021 and was starting Corey Kluber. Instead, they took an early lead and held onto it.

The Orioles were outhit 9-4. They used seven pitchers, none for more than Austin Voth’s 2 2/3 innings. Voth made his first start since June 6, 2021. His longest outing before yesterday was three innings on June 1, 2021.

The Orioles scratched Jordan Lyles for today’s start against the Rays and replaced him with Austin Voth.

An explanation is coming later.

Lyles hasn’t gone more than 5 1/3 innings in his last four starts, and his ERA has risen from 4.10 to 5.10. No word on how today’s switch impacts the rotation moving forward.

The Orioles are off Monday.

Voth has made three relief appearances and allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings since the Orioles claimed him off waivers from the Nationals.

Nothing that I do in my life, nothing that’s accomplished in a press box or television booth, is more fulfilling and important to me than being a Girl Dad. My daughter is my best work.

I lost my father to cancer three years ago. He was the ideal role model. I miss him terribly and try every day to live up to his standard. To reach the bar that he raised.

Being on road trips to cover the Orioles satisfied me professionally but also hurt my heart. Six weeks at spring training felt like an eternity, no matter how much I loved Fort Lauderdale. I’d fly home and go directly from the airport to my daughter's classroom, where the teacher waved me in like a third base coach.

She’d jump in my arms – my daughter, not the teacher - and ask whether I brought T-shirts for her instructors and friends. Of course I did. I just had to take out a second mortgage.

I lifted her up when she was in fifth grade and she whispered into my ear, “Put me down, put me down.” I was embarrassing her in front of her friends. My little girl was growing up.

Ryan McKenna dived across home plate today in the second inning, hopped to his feet with hands clenched into fists, and yelled. The energy that’s been running through this team reaching high voltage.

The unfortunate part of the day for the Orioles was how quickly the Rays flipped the switch. The familiar part was the comeback by a team that stubbornly refuses to submit to its apparent fate.

The Orioles had to settle for another moral victory. They’d rather get the kind that's reflected in the standings.

Rookie Kyle Bradish surrendered four runs in the top of the third inning and two more in the fifth before the Orioles stormed back to tie the game in the sixth. Dillon Tate loaded the bases in the ninth, and Harold Ramírez’s sacrifice fly gave the Rays a 7-6 win at Camden Yards.

A walk, single and hit batter set the stage for Ramírez, who lined to right fielder Trey Mancini.

Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias returned late last night from the draft combine in San Diego with the same group of names on his board, which will be carried into upcoming meetings intended to whittle the list down to one.

The Orioles hold the first overall pick for the second time in four years.

“The combine was a great event. I’m very glad that we have that event now as a league,” Elias said today during a dugout session with the local media.

“Obviously, we are working with a group of five, maybe six, but probably five players at this point. … There’s a lot of information that comes in late leading up to the draft, and so it’s not responsible to pare the list down until you get all that. And also, I think we’re going to have advocates in our scouting department and in our front office for each of those players. So, we’re going to have a nice, lively debate.”

A position player is going to be chosen. No pitchers are deemed worthy of the pick.

The Orioles activated reliever Joey Krehbiel from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Logan Gillaspie to Triple-A Norfolk. Gillaspie was informed of the move last night.

Krehbiel, who was sidelined with right shoulder tendinitis, has a 2.74 ERA and 1.130 WHIP in 23 innings. Gillaspie has appeared in 11 games with the Orioles and allowed five earned runs (six total) and 15 hits in 10 1/3 innings.

Gillaspie was charged with four runs and five hits Monday in 1/3 of an inning in Toronto.

Adley Rutschman and Cedric Mullins are on the bench today.

Austin Hays is leading off and serving as the designated hitter. Trey Mancini is in right field, Ryan McKenna in center and Anthony Santander in left.

The Orioles are discussing construction possibilities for their roster next week with teams allowed to carry only 13 pitchers. They get a fourth bench player as the forced tradeoff.

Monday’s off day delays the club’s decision, but it’s coming.

Joey Krehbiel is expected to be activated today from the injured list, which removes a reliever from the bullpen. Someone else must go by Tuesday. And the Orioles eventually need a starter to replace Bruce Zimmermann, who was optioned Thursday afternoon.

A fifth starter isn’t required until June 25, so no rush.

Jorge López, Dillon Tate, Félix Bautista, Cionel Pérez and Keegan Akin are safe, and Bryan Baker probably also fits into that category.

Dean Kremer’s season was put on hold before it began, an oblique strain while warming during the opening series causing him to disappear from the bullpen, active roster and sight.

He wasn’t around much while rehabbing at the spring training complex and in the minors.

He isn’t leaving the rotation as long as he’s displaying improved command and confidence. Maybe get used to seeing him every five or six days.

Kremer shut out the Rays over six innings tonight, tying his career high, in the Orioles’ 1-0 victory at Camden Yards. Manager Brandon Hyde removed him at 82 pitches.

Adley Rutschman’s second single of the night in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Ryan Mountcastle, who doubled into the bullpen corner, and put the only run on the board.

Anthony Santander is in right field tonight for the Orioles. Keegan Akin is in the bullpen. The competitive disadvantage from their absences in Toronto has been resolved.

Perhaps until the Orioles are in Toronto again. They make two more trips in 2022.

Unvaccinated players are denied entrance into Canada. Santander and Akin went on the restricted list, and the Orioles returned substitute players Kyle Stowers and Rico Garcia to Triple-A Norfolk.

“We knew going in,” Hyde said. “Gave a couple guys an opportunity because two guys couldn’t go, and if that presents itself again, we’ll take it like we just did.

“We’re not the only team that this has happened. It’s happening to most teams that go up there. I’ve talked to them and it’s their choice and I leave it up to them. They’re grown men, they’re going to make their own decisions. I can give them my opinion, but people make their own decisions. You try to persuade or give them my thoughts on it, but it’s ultimately up to them.”

Outfielder Anthony Santander and reliever Keegan Akin are back on the 26-man roster as the Orioles begin their next homestand with three games against the Rays. Santander is playing right field.

Outfielder Kyle Stowers and reliever Rico Garcia were sent back down to Triple-A Norfolk after yesterday’s game.

Trey Mancini returns to the lineup and is playing first base. He missed the last three games in Toronto with swelling in his right hand.

Adley Rutschman is catching and batting sixth.

Ryan Mountcastle is 11-for-27 (.407) with four homers, eight RBIs and eight runs scored during his six-game hitting streak.