Orioles claim Araúz and DFA Lowther (plus lineup)

TORONTO – The Orioles claimed infielder Jonathan Araúz off waivers from the Red Sox this afternoon and designated left-hander Zac Lowther for assignment. The 40-man roster remains full.

Araúz, 23, will report to Triple-A Norfolk. He went 0-for-10 in six games this season and is 30-for-147 (.204) with five doubles, four home runs and 18 RBIs in 59 games with the Red Sox over parts of three seasons.

Araúz plays shortstop, second base and third base. He’s a career .240/.315/.357 hitter in 498 minor league games and provides infield depth, versatility and experience at the upper level of the farm system.

The native of Panama signed with the Phillies as a free agent in 2014 and was traded to the Astros a year later in a seven-player deal that included Ken Giles, Mark Appel and future Orioles pitcher Thomas Eshelman. The Red Sox selected him in the 2019 Rule 5 draft.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias knows Araúz from their days in the Astros organization.

The Orioles drafted Lowther, 26, in the second round in 2017 out of Xavier University. He made 10 appearances last summer, including six starts, and worked 5 1/3 relief innings on May 31 versus the Mariners in his only outing for the Orioles in 2022. He owns a 6.94 ERA and 1.686 WHIP in 35 major league innings.

Lowther started last night for Norfolk and surrendered 10 runs and 10 hits, with three homers, in 3 2/3 innings against Syracuse.

This has been a startling decline for Lowther since he won 13 games with Double-A Bowie in 2019 and posted a 2.55 ERA with 9.4 strikeouts and 0.5 home runs per nine innings over 26 starts.

Kyle Stowers is back in tonight’s lineup for his second major league game as the Orioles try to build on last night’s tense 6-5 win over the Blue Jays.

Stowers is in left field and batting seventh.

Trey Mancini is out again with a swollen right hand and probably won’t play until the team returns to Baltimore. The series concludes Thursday afternoon.

Mancini will receive his American League Comeback Player of the Year Award before Saturday’s game.

Adley Rutschman is batting cleanup again tonight. Cedric Mullins is the designated hitter.

Robinson Chirinos and Richie Martin are the only healthy players on the bench.

Ryan Mountcastle has 10 home runs against the Blue Jays, his highest total versus any opponent. He’s a career .340/.397/.660 hitter in 27 games with four doubles and 18 RBIs. He’s 10-for-31 (.323) with three doubles and two home runs at Rogers Centre.

Other opponents suffer, too. Mountcastle has five doubles and five homers among his last 14 hits.

Over his last 25 games, Austin Hays has gone 30-for-99 (.303) with five doubles, five home runs and 23 RBIs.

Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann’s ERA has grown from 2.72 on May 14 to 5.52. He’s allowed 12 runs and 20 hits in 10 1/3 innings in his last two starts, and also surrendered 14 home runs.

Zimmermann’s only career start against the Blue Jays in the final game of the 2021 season was brief, with three runs and five hits in two-thirds of an inning. George Springer hit a leadoff home run and had five RBIs that day.

The Orioles are 8-6 in their last 14 division games. They snapped a seven-game losing streak to Toronto.

Right-hander José Berríos is 5-2 with a 4.73 ERA and 1.330 WHIP in 12 starts. He’s been dominant in June with three runs allowed and 18 strikeouts in 15 innings.

Berríos, who spent the first 5 ½ years with the Twins, has a career 3.47 ERA and 1.114 WHIP in 77 home games and a 4.70 ERA and 1.344 WHIP in 83 road games. He’s never lost to the Orioles, going 6-0 with 2.94 ERA and 1.115 WHIP in eight starts over 52 innings.

In his last 13 games, Matt Chapman has gone 16-for-48 (.333) with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs.

Gabriel Moreno became the fourth catcher in club history with a three-hit game within the first three of his career, joining J.P. Arencibia (2010), Pat Borders (1988) and Brian Milner (1978).

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is batting .472 (17-for-36) during a nine-game hitting streak.

Raimel Tapia is 13-for-37 (.351) with seven doubles and a home run in his last 14 games.

Teoscar Hernandez has hits in 16 of his last 17 games, going 24-for-69 (.348) with seven doubles, a triple, a home run and 11 RBIs.

George Springer extended his on-base streak to 24 games last night with a walk in the third inning, the longest active stretch in the majors.

Despite last night’s loss, the Jays have won 14 of their last 19 games and 19 of their last 28. They’re 10-11 against division opponents this year.

For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins DH
Austin Hays RF
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Adley Rutschman C
Rougned Odor 2B
Tyler Nevin 3B
Kyle Stowers LF
Jorge Mateo SS
Ryan McKenna CF

Bruce Zimmermann LHP