Notes on Lyles, rotation, new relievers, Hays and more

The Orioles kept Jordan Lyles at home today while he recovers from his flu-like symptoms. His status hasn’t changed and the club won’t predict his next start.

Lyles was pushed back from Game 1 to Game 2 yesterday, then scratched after attempting to warm in the bullpen.

“He’s feeling a little bit better today,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “Still feeling sick, so not here, and hopefully he gets better soon.”

Hyde said Lyles is “day-to-day right now.” Dean Kremer is starting Wednesday’s series finale against the Blue Jays, and the Orioles are off Thursday before hosting the Red Sox in a weekend series.

The Orioles are listing Austin Voth, Spenser Watkins and Kyle Bradish as starters against the Red Sox, who are countering with Brayan Bello, Michael Wacha and Rich Hill.

The clubhouse has two new relievers, with the Orioles activating Jake Reed after claiming him yesterday and recalling Yennier Cano from Triple-A Norfolk. The biggest reason is they’re right-handed and present better matchups against the Blue Jays.

Cano, part of the Jorge López trade with the Twins, tossed two scoreless innings on Saturday and struck out four batters.

“He had a good appearance his last time out,” Hyde said. “Watching his film from Minnesota earlier this year, it’s a huge arm. It’s about command with him, and he’s shown better command in Norfolk his last couple appearances. We were pretty left-handed in the bullpen, and to get a little more right-handed we felt like was important.”

Cano said via interpreter Brandon Quinones that he’s happy to “join the fight for the playoff push.”

“I’m happy to contribute in any way that I can and come in and throw strikes and help this bullpen and be a good, productive pitcher from the get-go,” he said. “I feel like I have a good chance to do something special here and I’m waiting to help.”

Cano appeared in 10 games with the Twins in his first season in the majors before the trade. He had a 9.22 ERA in 13 2/3 innings.

“It was a bit weird because it’s something that’s never happened to me before,” he said. “I signed with the Twins originally, and so it was a first-time experience for me. It was a big weird. But when I got to Triple-A, I just got back into the mindset that it’s another day. I’m ready to contribute and go to work, work hard and play baseball. That’s what I do at the end of the day, so I’m excited to be here and ready to do that.”

Cano offered a scouting report on himself: Throws from two arm slots, has a pretty heavy sinker, a changeup “that I consider to be my favorite pitch,” and also a slider.

Reed already knew about the Orioles from his conversations with friends Beau and Cole Sulser, a current and former reliever in the organization, and others in baseball who offered favorable reviews.

“I’ve been to a lot of different places this year and a lot of different teams, and this is one of the teams that people have been watching and keeping their eye on, and just enjoyed watching," Reed said. "So, to get to be here and be part of that, just a team that’s really trying to make a push here and really get things going in this city for this team is a really cool opportunity, so I’m excited.

“The buzz around the league around this team has been here this whole year. People have been watching, so it’s cool to get to be a part of that now.”

Reed and his wife Janie, a silver medalist with the Team USA softball team at the 2020 Summer Olympics, returned to their San Diego home yesterday. Reed received a call from the Orioles and hopped on a redeye flight last night to Baltimore.

“I got here early this morning, got some more sleep before I came to the field,” he said, “but thankful to be here.”

Reed pitched for the Mets earlier this season, so he’s familiar with teams that cycle through relievers.

“It is an interesting experience,” he said. “It’s just kind of always having to have your phone next to you at night and watching big league games to see if guys get used and injured, or if there’s a chance you might go up. So, it’s been kind of a tough experience at times, just kind of a grind, but at the same time, if you would have told me this is what I was going to be doing two or three years ago when I still hadn’t had an opportunity in the big leagues yet, I would have killed for that opportunity.

“I think it’s just a perspective thing where at times it can be a little exhausting and stressful, but in reality I’m grateful for the opportunity and get to be doing what I’m doing every day.”

Left-handers Bruce Zimmermann and Nick Vespi were optioned today. Vespi was the first reliever to work three days in a row, and he surrendered Bo Bichette’s three-run homer after replacing emergency starter Keegan Akin.

“That was unfortunate yesterday,” Hyde said. “A lot of things changed before the first game, and a scramble before the second game. We really only had (Dillon) Tate, (Cionel) Pérez and (Félix) Bautista available with Zimmermann, so in a game like that, I don’t want to use those three guys in the third inning. Was hoping Vespi could maybe just get a couple outs, and I appreciate him volunteering to pitch.

“I appreciate Akin volunteering. Akin made a dead sprint to the bullpen and warmed up in about two minutes. So, a lot of things didn’t go well yesterday for us.”

Austin Hays is batting seventh tonight. He’s 3-for-14 this month after batting .202/.269/.298 in July and .213/.250/.388 in August.

“Austin’s been a little bit streaky,” Hyde said. “Got off to a really good start this year. You feel like there’s times when he’s going to get hot again, and I still feel like that’s going to happen. I still really believe in his ability to hit and drive the baseball. I just think he’s in one of those modes right now where he’s missing pitches that he can drive and expanding a little bit, not getting in the right counts.

“I feel like he’s up there in an 0-1, 0-2 count a lot right now, whether it be from a chase early or, he’s got an 0-2 count, takes a fastball on the plate. I feel like he’s just in that mode right now a little bit. I think he’s going to come out of it soon.”

The Orioles reinstated infielder Jonathan Araúz from Norfolk’s restricted list and designated him for assignment. He went 5-for-28 with a home run before fracturing his finger.

Outfielder Dylan Beavers and infielder Max Wagner from the 2022 draft were promoted from Single-A Delmarva to High-A Aberdeen.

For the Blue Jays
George Springer CF
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. DH
Bo Bichette SS
Alejandro Kirk C
Teoscar Hernández RF
Matt Chapman 3B
Cavan Biggio 1B
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. LF
Whit Merrifield 2B

Mitch White RHP