Figuring out what's wrong with Renato Núñez isn't the complicated part of his slump.
It's snapping him out of it.
Núñez is missing from the Orioles lineup after another hitless night left him 1-for-27 since May 1. He's 4-for-48 going back to April 24 and hasn't drawn a walk in that period.
Health isn't the issue. Núñez could swing the bat while bothered by right biceps soreness that no longer is present. Player and manager agree that he's burrowed too deep inside his...
Reliever Evan Phillips is the latest Oriole to be given a reset in the minors.
The club optioned Phillips this morning and recalled reliever Jimmy Yacabonis in an exchange of right-handers. Phillips has allowed two earned runs in each of his last three appearances and also let two inherited runners score last night to leave him with a 7.11 ERA in 12 2/3 innings.
Command has been an issue with Phillips, who's issued 10 walks and hit three batters. He's also thrown two wild pitches.
"We want...
Can Chris Davis lift his average above .199 for the first time since the end of the 2017 season?
A hit in his first at-bat today will raise Davis' average to .202. He's currently at .193 and batting sixth.
Davis is batting .309 (17-for-55) with three doubles, four home runs, 14 RBIs and eight runs scored in his last 19 games since April 13.
Trey Mancini is hitting .483 (14-for-29) with three home runs and eight runs scored in the first inning. He's the designated hitter today with Joey...
It never fails. A reliever has success and is capable of gobbling up innings and a manager is asked whether a spot in the rotation could open up.
Brandon Hyde is experiencing it with Gabriel Ynoa, who has allowed only one run and walked one batter with 11 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings. He's tossed three scoreless innings in back-to-back appearances.
"I think he would be in the mix if we went in that direction, but he's also pitching his way into higher-leverage situations and being somebody...
Stevie Wilkerson kept trying. And all he had to show for his airborne attempts to catch a baseball were a few bruises.
A diving try in left-center field that resulted in a run-scoring triple. A leap at the fence in front of the bullpen that netted only more frustration and influenced the outcome of the game.
Mike Trout's two-run shot off Dan Straily in the third inning broke a tie, he doubled in the fifth to pad the lead and the Angels stayed in front to defeat the Orioles 8-3 before an...
The Orioles begin a stretch tonight of playing 20 games in a row before the next off-day on May 30 that divides a homestand consisting of series against the Tigers and Giants.
Manager Brandon Hyde hasn't made any firm decisions regarding changes to his rotation to accommodate the heavier workload.
Hyde had toyed with the idea of using six starters, but Alex Cobb is on the injured list again. Dan Straily, Dylan Bundy and John Means are taking the mound against the Angels this weekend, and David...
Jonathan Villar moves back to shortstop and Hanser Alberto gets the start at second base for tonight's series opener against the Angels at Camden Yards.
Rio Ruiz is batting cleanup. Stevie Wilkerson remains in center field and Pedro Severino is catching.
Dan Straily will try to rebound from his last start against the Rays, when he allowed five runs and nine hits with three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He's 2-4 with a 7.49 ERA and 1.664 WHIP in nine career starts against the Angels.
Albert Pujols...
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde is staying true to his word in his use of reliever Mychal Givens.
It's fine to label Givens as the closer based on his team-leading four saves and how he's the first choice to pitch last. But he won't be saved for the saves.
Hyde trusts Givens to get the biggest outs anywhere after the sixth inning. Givens worked the eighth and ninth Wednesday night with the score tied and carried the game into extras. He's exceeded one inning in eight of his 13 appearances.
The...
The moment easily could have gone unnoticed in a game featuring nine runs scored on homers through the fifth inning.
J.D. Martinez strikes out swinging, Mookie Betts breaks for second base and catcher Austin Wynns pops out of his crouch and makes a perfect throw.
Tag applied, runner out, another caught stealing for the Orioles.
A similar moment last night drew more attention with the score tied in the ninth inning. Eduardo Núñez strikes out swinging, Rafael Devers breaks for second base...
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde laughed tonight and took a sip from his cup before formulating his answer. Before he could revisit Jackie Bradley Jr.'s catch in front of the Orioles bullpen - over their bullpen - that denied Trey Mancini of a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning.
"Let's just start out that it was an incredible catch and you tip your hat to the guy making a play like that," Hyde said after a 2-1, 12-inning loss to the Red Sox at Camden Yards. "I don't know if...
Andrew Cashner pounded a fist into his glove tonight and stormed off the mound after striking out Mitch Moreland on a changeup to close the first inning and strand a runner at third base. He threw another changeup with two outs in the third, Mookie Betts launched it into the left field seats to break a scoreless tie and the veteran right-hander took a few shots at himself.
Cashner turned back toward the plate and yelled, knowing that poor location led to a bad result. He'd find out later that...
Before Orioles manager Brandon Hyde could begin jotting down names on tonight's lineup card, he had to more closely study the matchups and video of the opposing pitcher.
Hyde is sitting first baseman Chris Davis, who hits from the left side and is 2-for-22 with nine strikeouts lifetime against Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale. Jonathan Villar is leading off despite being 2-for-12 with nine strikeouts and Joey Rickard is in right field after collecting only two hits in 16 at-bats.
It isn't just...
Orioles left-hander Richard Bleier threw 14 pitches last night at Single-A Frederick, earned the win and didn't experience any discomfort or weakness in his shoulder.
He didn't keep the ball, but it was an important game as Bleier started an injury rehab assignment that leads him Friday night to Double-A Bowie.
"I feel pretty good," he said. "Shoulder feels pretty good yesterday and today. Just trying to get back to competitive pitching."
Bleier allowed one run and two hits in the sixth...
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was left with some interesting lineup decisions today based on the Red Sox starting left-hander Chris Sale in the series finale.
Chris Davis is 2-for-22 with nine strikeouts lifetime against Sale, Joey Rickard is 2-for-16 and Jonathan Villar is 2-for-12 with nine strikeouts.
Hyde kept Villar in the lineup and is leading him off as usual. Rickard is batting second and playing right field. Davis is on the bench, with Trey Mancini replacing him at first base.
Stevie...
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde proved yesterday that he can play the comedic and straight-man roles in the same sound bite.
Told that his club was 10-11 within its division, Hyde said, "Well, we didn't play good against the Twins, right?"
Laughter ensued, led by Hyde, who suddenly broke character and turned serious.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
Hyde knew because he started it.
The Orioles won't have to face the Twins again after losing all six games by a combined score of 45-9 and being...
The Orioles were playing a dangerous game tonight with the Red Sox, going toe-to-toe and trading home runs while leading the majors in the number allowed by a wide margin.
Pretty hard to win that battle.
Mitch Moreland broke the third tie of the night with a three-run shot off reliever Branden Kline in the top of the fifth inning and the Red Sox outlasted the Orioles 8-5 before an announced crowd of 10,703 at Camden Yards.
Homers accounted for the first nine runs of the night, the teams trading...
The fourth save of reliever Mychal Givens' season last night required him to get the last four outs. It's happened twice this month, with Givens striking out three batters in 1 1/3 innings in Game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader in Chicago.
The extreme already had passed, with Givens facing nine batters and covering the last two innings of a 4-3 win over the White Sox on April 24 at Camden Yards.
Manager Brandon Hyde isn't shy about pushing Givens, who's exceeded one inning in seven of his...
Orioles reliever Nate Karns is confident that he's going to avoid surgery on his right elbow.
Karns received a second opinion yesterday from Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla., and an MRI showed no evidence of structural damage. He received an injection to alleviate the tightness in his forearm and will remain shut down.
"Doing great, doing great," Karns said this afternoon while standing at his locker. "Second opinion went well. My MRI is clean. We just got a shot to kind of help with...
Joey Rickard is starting in left field tonight and Stevie Wilkerson is in center as the Orioles continue their series against the Red Sox at Camden Yards.
Dwight Smith Jr. is the designated hitter.
Hanser Alberto was out of the lineup last night, but he's playing second base tonight. Jonathan Villar moves to shortstop.
Chris Davis is batting fifth. Austin Wynns is catching.
Renato Núñez is a career .302 (19-for-63) hitter against the Red Sox, but he's on the bench tonight.
David Hess...
Almost a week has passed since the Orioles made a roster move, and it was done only because of a traditional doubleheader that allowed for a 26th player. Outfielder Anthony Santander joined the club Wednesday in Chicago, homered in Game 2 and returned to Triple-A Norfolk.
The Orioles haven't shaken up the roster for other reasons since they recalled reliever Yefry Ramirez from Norfolk on April 29 to fill the vacancy created by pitcher Luis Ortiz, optioned left-hander Tanner Scott after the...