Notes on Bradish, bullpen, Harvey, trade deadline and more

Kyle Bradish is expected to make two or three starts in the minors before the Orioles activate him from the injured list and return him to the rotation.

Bradish starts Saturday for Double-A Bowie in Somerset.

“We’re going to build him back up,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “The first outing’s going to be three to four innings and we’ll build him back up to be full-go before he comes back up here.”

The Orioles arranged a simulated game for Bradish yesterday before deciding to send him on a rehab assignment.

“We’re not going to bring him back up here if he can’t throw five or six innings,” Hyde said, “so we’re going to build him back up that way.”

Hyde can play with the rotation because of the off-days next week sandwiching a two-game series against the Cubs in Chicago, followed by the All-Star break that runs July 18-21.

Asked if his bullpen is in good shape tonight with the starters going deeper in games, Hyde smiled and replied, “I would say sorta.”

“Yesterday, I didn’t tell Jordan (Lyles) before the game there were numerous guys I wanted to stay away from,” he said. “That’s why when he really wanted to go back out there for the seventh, I said, ‘OK.’

“We’ve thrown a lot of innings out of our ‘pen, so I don’t think we’ll ever be in great shape until after the break. We’re just trying to monitor guys as much as we possibly can. I’ll have some guys down today again, but we’re trying to keep a close watch.”

Matt Harvey’s 60-game suspension has ended, and he’s starting tonight for Triple-A Norfolk in Jacksonville.

Harvey tossed six scoreless innings with High-A Aberdeen and allowed three runs with 16 strikeouts in 10 innings in two starts with Double-A Bowie.

Chris Ellis, on the 60-day injured list after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in May, has returned to Camden Yards while continuing his rehab. He’s out for the season.

The Orioles begin tonight just five games back for the last wild card. Not that anyone in the clubhouse has noticed - at least publicly.

They’re taking it the clichéd one game at a time

“We’ve got so much season left, we’ve still got half a season left,” Hyde said. “We’re playing well as of late, we’ve played good baseball here for the last couple months, and just want it to continue.”

Hyde doesn’t need to lecture a young clubhouse about learning to win and not getting ahead of itself.

“I don’t sense any sort of guys playing tight or playing any differently than we had been,” he said. “I just want guys to continue to play the way we’ve been playing the last couple months. We’ve played loose, we have a really good clubhouse, our guys get along, our dugout’s got energy. I think if those things change for whatever reason, then you need to address it, but right now I think there’s a really good feel in the dugout and in the clubhouse, and just want to keep it going.

“Guys are playing to win and showing up at the park expecting to win, and I like the confidence that our pitchers have given us in games. I just want to ride it out.”

The trade deadline threatens to bring significant changes to that clubhouse, perhaps with the Orioles still lurking in the wild card race. Veterans could be lost in multiple deals, with Trey Mancini viewed as the most vulnerable.

Mancini’s contract includes a mutual option for 2023. He hasn’t already made the decision to decline his half of it, contrary to a published report, but there’s never been an expectation that both sides would exercise it.

Hyde responded to a reporter’s question about the deadline’s potential impact by saying, “Are you trying to bring me down?”

“I think everybody’s aware of the business of the game,” he said. “Everybody’s aware that players move and organizations make moves to benefit them currently and in the future, and those are decisions we have no control over. So, we’re going to control what we can. I want our guys to show up and get ready to play. And whatever happens, happens.

“I think that we do have that mindset in there. I don’t sense any sort of what-if, but we are all professionals and we understand the nature and the business of the game. Right now, we’re in last place in our division, and someday we’ll be in first place in our division. But right now, it’s one foot ahead of the other and we’ll see what happens.”

For the Angels
Jonathan Villar 3B
Mike Trout CF
Shohei Ohtani DH
Taylor Ward RF
Jared Walsh 1B
Michael Stefanic 2B
Luis Rengifo SS
Max Stassi C
Brandon Marsh LF

Reid Detmers LHP