Ortiz at second base tonight for major league debut

DETROIT – The Orioles take their 16-8 record, second-best in the American League, to Comerica Park for the start of a four-game series, and they have Joey Ortiz making his major league debut at second base.

Ortiz, 24, was recalled this morning from Triple-A Norfolk, with infielder Terrin Vavra optioned. The fourth-round pick in 2019 out of New Mexico State is batting .359/.389/.500/.889 in 16 games with Norfolk, with five doubles, two triples and eight RBIs. He’s a plus-defender who plays shortstop, second base and third base.

Vavra also can play the outfield, and his removal from the Orioles roster seems to indicate that Austin Hays’ bruised right hand is improving. Hays is on the bench again tonight but he’s avoided the injured list.

The Tigers are starting three consecutive left-handers in the series, if the weather permits it: Joey Wentz, Eduardo Rodriguez and Matthew Boyd. Ortiz is a right-handed hitter.

Bringing up Ortiz also gives the Orioles some infield insurance after Jorge Mateo recently sat with a sore right hip and Gunnar Henderson appeared to hurt his right hand yesterday after diving for a line drive, though he stayed in the game.

Mateo is the shortstop tonight. Henderson is on the bench, but it might be matchup based.

Adam Frazier is in right field and Ryan McKenna is in left. Ramón Urías is the third baseman.

Baseball America ranks Ortiz No. 87 in its top 100 prospects list, and MLP Pipeline has him 91^st. Pipeline rates Ortiz as the Orioles’ No. 7 prospect and Baseball America has him eighth.

Ortiz is wearing No. 65.

Kyle Gibson is 4-0 with a 3.60 ERA in five starts. He held the Tigers to one run and two hits with 11 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings in his last outing. Zach McKinstry homered in the seventh.

Gibson has made 26 career appearances against Detroit and gone 11-11 with a 5.64 ERA and 1.542 WHIP in 142 innings. Miguel Cabrera is 10-for-38 with three doubles and a home run.

The Orioles swept a three-game series from the Tigers at Camden Yards, outscoring them 9-3. They’ve won eight of nine games, 10 of 12 and 12 of 15.

The Tigers swept the Orioles last year in a three-game series in Detroit.

Wentz has a 7.56 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in four starts this season. He faced the Orioles Thursday and allowed five runs and six hits in four innings. James McCann homered.

Detroit’s three quality starts are tied with the Athletics for fewest in the majors.

For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Adley Rutschman C
Ryan Mountcastle 1B
Anthony Santander DH
Ramón Urías 3B
Jorge Mateo SS
Adam Frazier RF
Ryan McKenna LF
Joey Ortiz 2B

Kyle Gibson RHP

For the Tigers
Zach McKenstry 2B
Riley Greene CF
Javier Báez SS
Nick Maton 3B
Kerry Carpenter RF
Spencer Torkelson 1B
Miguel Cabrera DH
Akil Baddoo LF
Eric Haase C

Joey Wentz LHP