Orioles select Cowser and Bazardo contracts, option McKenna (plus notes)

NEW YORK – Colton Cowser is on the Orioles’ active roster and expected to be in their lineup for tonight’s game against the Yankees.

The first part is official.

The club announced that it selected Cowser’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk. They also selected reliever Eduard Bazardo’s contract and optioned outfielder Ryan McKenna to the Tides after yesterday’s game.

Catcher Anthony Bemboom and pitcher Chris Vallimont were designated for assignment to clear space on a full 40-man roster.

Cowser, the No. 14 prospect in baseball in MLB Pipeline rankings, is batting .330/.459/.537 with 10 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs and 48 walks in 56 games. The fifth-overall selection in the 2021 draft out of Sam Houston State has accumulated 381 plate appearances at Triple-A over two seasons and slashed .292/.420/.500 in 83 games.

Cowser is wearing No. 17.

Executive vice president/general Mike Elias made catcher Adley Rutschman the first-overall pick in the 2019 draft, his first in the Orioles’ front office, and saw the Oregon native climb to No. 1 in prospect rankings and make the All-Star team this year. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad, the second-overall pick in 2020 whose professional career was delayed after his diagnosis of myocarditis, is raking in Triple-A and anointed by Pipeline as the No. 38 prospect in baseball.

The current No. 1, shortstop Jackson Holliday, was selected by the Orioles with the first-overall pick last year. He’s advanced to High-A Aberdeen at age 19 and expected to finish the summer at Double-A Bowie, putting him closer to a possible major league debut in 2024.

Gunnar Henderson, a second-round pick in 2019 and formerly the top prospect in baseball, is getting regular playing time on the left side of the Orioles infield.

Bazardo, 27, appeared in 14 games with the Red Sox over the past two seasons. He’s 4-1 with a 3.51 ERA, 1.170 WHIP, two saves and one home run surrendered in 24 appearances with Norfolk, and he’s averaging 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings.

McKenna, mainly on the team for his speed and defense, was batting .253/.315/.392 with two home runs, including a walk-off, in 62 games. Cowser’s arrival has pushed him to the minors.

Bemboom is out of options and can decline an outright and become a free agent, but he’s accepted in the past. Vallimont made his debut Monday, recording two outs, and was optioned the following day.

The Orioles will try to avoid a series loss tonight. The best they can do is split with the Yankees.

In 17 career games against the Yankees, Rutschman is batting .354/.455/.492 (23-for-65) with six doubles, a home run, four RBIs and 12 walks.

Jordan Westburg is the first Orioles rookie with at least three multi-hit games in his first seven career games since Hyun Soo Kim and Joey Rickard in 2016.

Dean Kremer allowed seven runs in three innings against the Twins in his last start to raise his ERA to 5.04. He faced the Yankees on April 7 and allowed four runs and five hits in five innings. Franchy Cordero, who was in camp with the Orioles, hit a three-run homer.

Kremer has a career 5.61 ERA and 1.455 WHIP in seven starts versus the Yankees. DJ LeMahieu is 8-for-19 with two doubles.

Per STATS data, Kremer’s grounder-to-fly ball ratio has been cut in half over his last three starts compared to his previous 10 - 1.23 to 0.61. He’s allowed seven home runs in those three starts, the same number as his previous 10.

The Orioles have lost six of their last seven games and are only two ahead of the third-place Yankees in the division.

Yankees right-hander Randy Vásquez has made his first two major league starts this year and allowed two runs in 10 1/3 innings. His last outing was June 8 in the second game of a doubleheader against the White Sox, when he tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings.