Santander named to All-Star team, plus other Orioles notes before tonight's game

Make that five All-Star representatives for the Orioles.

Outfielder Anthony Santander has made the American League club as an injury replacement for Houston’s Kyle Tucker. He'll also head out early to Arlington, Texas.

Santander joins starters Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, pitcher Corbin Burnes and infielder Jordan Westburg. This is the highest total for the Orioles since 2016 with Manny Machado, Matt Wieters, Mark Trumbo, Zack Britton and Brad Brach. They had four representatives last year in Seattle.

The honor for Santander comes in his free agency year and seven seasons after his major league debut as a Rule 5 pick from Single-A Lynchburg in Cleveland’s organization.

Santander goes into tonight’s game batting .233/.298/.492 with 15 doubles, a triple, 23 home runs and 57 RBIs in 366 plate appearances, and he’s playing an exceptional right field. He was a finalist on the ballot but finished one spot behind the starters.

Thirteen of his home runs were hit last month to set the club record for June. His 23 homers are tied for fifth in the majors.

Santander wasn't chosen to participate in the eight-player Home Run Derby. Today's news is better.

Westburg was added to the AL team Tuesday as the replacement for Red Sox’s third baseman Rafael Devers.

The decision to send down struggling Orioles reliever Dillon Tate earlier today was made with a few thoughts in mind.

What’s good for Tate and also the team.

Tate allowed 11 runs in his last nine innings and was scored upon in all three appearances this month.

Burch Smith had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk and is available to pitch tonight. He made two appearances with the Tides and produced two scoreless innings with one hit, no walks and two strikeouts.

The most recent outing was Tuesday night.

Smith had reached the opt-out date on his contract and the Orioles promoted him.

“A little bit of a reset (for Tate), but also, we’re excited to add Burch,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I think that kind of the way the games have gone the last couple days, having a fresh bullpen arm was important, also. Burch is a guy who’s got a lot of experience. He’s thrown the ball really well the couple times down in Norfolk, so to add a fresh arm for tonight we felt like was important.”

Corbin Burnes had his final outing of the first half last night and delivered his 15^th quality start.

“Just really consistently good,” Hyde said. “Like I’ve said every time, he gives us a great chance to win every single time he takes the ball and goes out there. He did that again last night. Gave up the homer and some unfortunate luck besides that. It’s almost every single time it’s been six or seven innings and giving us an awesome chance to win, and we’ve won more games than not because of it.

“He’s just been a real rock in our rotation. A No. 1 guy. He’s gonna get a little bit of a break, which is fantastic, and hopefully he pitches well for us like he did the first half in the second half.”

Hyde values more than just the work that Burnes does on the mound.

“It’s all the other five-day stuff,” Hyde said. “Just being able to watch how he game plans, watch his in-between starts routines. For all of our guys, (Cade) Povich, who don’t have a ton of experience up here. He’s a really, really good role model for a guy to have a lot of success with really good stuff.”

Burnes told the media after last night’s game that he hadn’t made a final decision on whether he’s attending the All-Star Game.

“There are 2-week-old babies that are complicating things right now,” he said.

The Orioles are 5-9 against the National League Central, and that record includes a three-game sweep of the Reds in Cincinnati. Any explanation for it?

“National League Central. No,” Hyde said.

“We have played so poorly against the National League Central. I don’t know, I don’t know. We got beat the last two nights, but two guys threw the ball really well against us. But we didn’t play very well against Pittsburgh. We did against Cincinnati. We didn’t play very well against Milwaukee here. I don’t know the reason. That’s probably coincidental.

“We didn’t play very well against the National League Central last year, either. This is our last game against the National League Central.”

Rookie Cade Povich, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer start against the Yankees at Camden Yards.

Norfolk manager Buck Britton pitched to Gunnar Henderson earlier today in preparation for Monday’s Home Run Derby. Henderson deposited the second ball into the right-center field seats.

Colton Cowser was timing the session to further replicate the Derby.

Norfolk’s Terrin Vavra has returned to the injured list, this time due to an illness.