One man's torn latissimus dorsi muscle is another man's opportunity to become an established major league reliever.
It sounds harsh, but it's also baseball reality.
No one is celebrating Richard Bleier's season-ending injury, and that's especially true of Tanner Scott. They're friends who sat next to each other in the clubhouse. They traded playful insults while I sought their opinions on the movie "The Sandlot" for a MASN pregame segment.
Scott had to be highly upset by the news of...
No team in the majors has scored fewer runs than the Orioles. They needed eight more before tonight to catch the team ahead of them, the Marlins, their opponent for a weekend series at Camden Yards.
The only fireworks were coming after the game. And there isn't enough smoke to mask the Orioles' primary weakness.
The Marlins manufactured a run off Kevin Gausman in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie, padded their lead in the sixth and handed the Orioles their eighth loss in a row, 2-0,...
The Orioles have an expanded bench tonight after they selected Corban Joseph's contract from Double-A Bowie. It includes first baseman Chris Davis, who's sitting out his third consecutive game and likely won't be in the lineup Saturday afternoon against left-hander Wei-Yin Chen.
Joseph is starting at first base and leading off against Marlins right-hander JoseÌ Ureña.
"Chris is continuing with some things that he's working on and when they come to me and say they think he's ready...
The only way that Corban Joseph's day could have gotten any better would have been to walk inside the Orioles' clubhouse this afternoon and hug his brother.
Caleb Joseph remains with Triple-A Norfolk after the Orioles optioned him on May 17. They spoke on the phone after Corban learned of his promotion from Double-A Bowie, his return to the majors taking five years.
"I called him and he's real excited," Corban said.
Imagine how Corban would have reacted if told in March that he'd be in...
Surgery has been recommended for Orioles reliever Richard Bleier, who will make his decision after receiving a second opinion. He isn't expected to pitch again this season and his availability for spring training could be in jeopardy.
Bleier strained the lat muscle on his left side and its severity brought about the likelihood of a surgical procedure to repair it.
Manager Buck Showalter confirmed today that surgery is a consideration and Bleier isn't expected to get back on the mound in...
The Orioles will try to snap a seven-game losing streak tonight and win at home for the first time in 10 games as the Marlins make a rare visit to Camden Yards.
The Orioles lost two of three games in Miami in 2015 and two of three in Baltimore in 2010. The Marlins swept a three-game series at home in 2009 and took two of three at Camden Yards in 2006. They lead the all-time series 20-7, including 7-5 in Baltimore.
Corban Joseph is leading off and playing first base, with Chris Davis remaining...
Orioles reliever Richard Bleier was placed on the 10-day disabled list today with a strained left lat muscle that could end his 2018 season.
The Orioles also optioned pitcher Yefry Ramirez to Triple-A Norfolk, recalled left-hander Tanner Scott from the Tides and purchased infielder Corban Joseph's contract from Double-A Bowie.
Joseph, the younger brother of catcher Caleb Joseph, was batting .336/.394/.550 in 59 games with Bowie. His wearing No. 51.
Joseph has played only two games in the...
Getting a feel for Danny Valencia's placement in the lineup isn't as simple as it used to be back when he was typecast.
An opposing left-handed starter usually worked in Valencia's favor in a platoon-type role. He mashed them. It didn't say so on his business card, but word spreads quickly in baseball.
The Orioles didn't sign Valencia, in his second tour with the team, to be an everyday player or to become their cleanup hitter. Little has gone according to plan this season, but Valencia is...
A veteran sportswriter taught me a long time ago, shortly after I joined the Orioles beat as a wide-eyed and fresh-faced reporter, that you should never downplay or underwrite an injury. Better to err on the side of hysteria.
It's much easier to tone it down later - the pain turned out to be nothing more than cramping - than treat trauma as a tweak and look like a fool when the player goes on the 60-day disabled list.
Remember when Darren O'Day was going to return when eligible after...
Orioles reliever Richard Bleier underwent an X-ray today at Camden Yards and is scheduled for an MRI on Thursday to determine the severity of an injury that manager Buck Showalter said has "got the characteristics of a lat."
The elbow is fine, but Bleier's season is in jeopardy after he exited the game in the eighth inning.
"I just felt something in the lat area or whatever," Bleier said. "Obviously, it was unpleasant. Just, I don't know, that's pretty much it."
Bleier threw one...
Orioles reliever Richard Bleier just came out of today's game in the top of the eighth inning after retiring Red Sox second baseman Eduardo Núñez on a ground ball, dropping his glove and reaching for his left elbow area in obvious pain.
Bleier grimaced and shook his head as he walked toward the dugout with assistant athletic trainer Mark Shires. There was no hesitation in his removal as manager Buck Showalter and pitching coach Roger McDowell rushed to the mound.
Brad Brach replaced...
The rookie pitcher and the rookie catcher walked side by side from the dugout to the bullpen for the pregame warmup. Yefry Ramirez prepping for his major league debut. Austin Wynns making his fifth start behind the plate.
The Orioles won't recycle their "Come See the Kids" campaign from 2001. Ryan Kohlmeier, Brook Fordyce and Chris Richard - who qualified in the darkest days - aren't walking through that door. But the present, in all its gory, also provided another glimpse at the potential...
The Orioles spent the morning and part of the afternoon deciding on the corresponding roster move for pitcher Yefry Ramirez, debating the wisdom of removing a reliever and finding themselves undermanned in the bullpen with a rookie making his first major league start. Risky business, for sure.
Left-hander Donnie Hart has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after spending one day with the club. He worked a scoreless inning last night, though he allowed two hits and walked a batter and needed a 9-2...
The Orioles are deciding on their corresponding roster move for Yefry Ramirez, who makes his major league debut today. They're leery of removing a reliever and being short in the bullpen.
Chris Davis is out of the lineup again today as the Orioles close out their series against the Red Sox, who are sending left-hander Chris Sale to the mound.
Davis also sat last night against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
Adam Jones also is on the bench today to provide some rest. He's fine physically other...
If this is what's become of the 2018 season, so be it. Give Yefry Ramirez a start. Keep giving David Hess starts. Begin an intense talent evaluation while also trying - and this is the tricky part - to avoid a season that elicits sympathy from the '62 Mets.
Or the '88 Orioles, who lost their first 21 games and were 18-47 on June 17. This year's model is 19-47 heading into today's series finale against the Red Sox.
Ramirez might be one and done with Andrew Cashner expected to miss only one...
The first inning didn't jump up and bite the Orioles tonight. They actually took an early lead on Joey Rickard's home run from atop the order. They weren't the team trying to climb out of a hole.
They were the team that couldn't hold a lead.
David Hess surrendered two more home runs over the first three innings, the offense poked at Red Sox pitching but couldn't puncture it and the Orioles continued their nosedive with a 6-4 loss before an announced crowd of 21,837 at Camden Yards.
The...
The Orioles made their roster move official about an hour before first pitch by placing Andrew Cashner on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to Saturday with a strained muscle in his lower back. Left-hander Donnie Hart was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk.
Hart is available in the bullpen tonight. He's allowed one earned run (two total) and six hits in 5 2/3 innings with the Orioles over five appearances as he continues to ride the shuttle between Norfolk and the majors. He's registered a...
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette denied today that specific names have been put on the table in trade talks regarding pending free agent Manny Machado.
"No," he said, "we haven't advanced it that far."
It's not for a lack of interest in Machado, who entered tonight batting .312/.380/.591 with 15 doubles, 18 home runs and 50 RBIs in 64 games and leading American League shortstops in voting for the All-Star Game in D.C.
The Memorial Day marker has passed and the Orioles are...
The Orioles are placing Andrew Cashner on the 10-day disabled list later today with soreness in his lower back. A reliever will be added to the roster to expand the bullpen, and Cashner's replacement as Wednesday afternoon's starter will be confirmed later.
Donnie Hart and Yefry Ramirez are headed to Baltimore from Triple-A Norfolk, confirming an earlier tweet from The Virginian-Pilot's David Hall. Ramirez could start Wednesday in his major league debut or back up Miguel Castro, the in-house...
Manny Machado has returned to the Orioles lineup tonight after an illness kept him in the dugout last night.
Chris Davis isn't starting against Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez. He's 5-for-27 (.185) with one home run and 14 strikeouts against the former Orioles farmhand. Machado is 6-for-31 (.194) with two doubles.
Joey Rickard is leading off and playing left field while Trey Mancini handles first base. Austin Wynns is behind the plate.
Rodriguez is 7-1 with a 3.68 ERA and 1.197 WHIP in...